


Recovery

by Obscura4now



Category: Richard Armitage - Fandom
Genre: F/M, occasional implied violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-05-24
Updated: 2015-04-16
Packaged: 2018-01-26 08:51:24
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 25
Words: 65,797
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1682291
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Obscura4now/pseuds/Obscura4now
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This work began as a response to a 'tis the Season challenge at DreamerFiction.  It's a story that disavows completely the fate of John Porter in Strikeback S2 and develops Porter's life in a slightly different direction beginning in the year after Strikeback S1.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue - The Longest Night

  
  
John Porter woke with a start. It was the dream again, the same dream he’d had once or twice a week for the past six months. He’d had dreams before, terrible, guilt ridden dreams of that night in Basra so many years ago. This wasn’t that kind of dream at all. This dream made him feel like he was 14 again with no control over his body as he woke time and time again on the verge of an orgasm. This was no haunting nightmare. He had dreamed about  _her_  again – Lindsey.  
  
After he had finally returned from the disastrous mission in Afghanistan, which had left both Gerald Baxter and Hugh Collinson dead, Porter’s life had changed dramatically. Section 20 had ultimately been able to find enough evidence to incriminate Frank Arlington in the affair, making it safe for Porter to return to England. At Layla’s instigation, the investigation into the events of the Bratton extraction was re-opened and he was cleared of any wrong doing. The army had not only restored all rank and privileges, but had paid him back wages from the time of his forced resignation until his reactivation into Section 20. In an effort to undo some of the damage caused by Major Collinson’s actions, he had also been awarded an enormous compensation package.   
  
Having lived in the shadows for so long, Porter was at a bit of a loss as to where to go after his return to grace. Increasingly at loose ends, he had wandered into a pub near his flat one evening in late June to unwind. He saw her for the first time as he made his initial recon of the crowded pub.  _Old habits die hard_ he thought ruefully as he glanced around the room, noting several groups of people, and then a lone woman sitting at a table in the corner, her back to the wall, facing the door – his preferred position actually. In the dim light, he could make out curly dark hair and even features of a woman who appeared to be in her mid-thirties. She seemed to be waiting for someone, repeatedly glancing from the silver watch on her slim wrist to the door. Curious, Porter observed her subtly as he ordered a pint. More people entered the pub, but none of them joined her. After 20 minutes of watching her watch the door, he approached her table.  
  
“Do you mind if I join you? It’s getting a bit thick in here, and I’m feeling rather vulnerable,” he said with a cheeky grin.  
  
The woman looked at him and laughed. The tall, gorgeous specimen standing in front of her looked anything but vulnerable.  
  
“Sure,” she smiled, gesturing at a chair. “I seem to have been stood up anyway – blind date,” she admitted in an American accent. “I’m Lindsey by the way,” she added, holding out her hand as he sat down  
  
“John,” Porter replied with a rumbling chuckle, shaking her hand gently. He wondered who would stand this woman up. She was beautiful…her loose dark curls were actually deep auburn, a striking combination when paired with her sparkling green eyes and creamy ivory skin.  _That fool's loss is my gain_  Porter thought with an inward smile.   
  
They had chatted casually for a long while, arguing good naturedly over who should buy each round of drinks, and discovering that they both enjoyed American rock music, British comedians and old movies. It had been nearing eleven when Porter was returning down a dark hall from the loo and found himself propelled against the wall, his arms suddenly full of Lindsey. It wasn’t usually easy to take John Porter by surprise, but her next move certainly caught him unawares.   
  
“I have been dying to do this for two hours,” she said huskily as she leaned up and captured his lips in a scorching kiss, her agile tongue darting in and out of his mouth to tease his. Porter’s chest rumbled with pleasure as he kissed her back, his tongue chasing hers and his powerful arms pulling her close.  
  
Deepening the passionate kiss, Lindsey fitted her voluptuous body closer to his and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. Porter groaned and slid his hands lightly over her rounded backside before he pulled back and looked into her eyes. The sparks of desire in her bright green eyes sent a shot of lust directly to his groin, but she had been drinking, and he was nothing if not honorable. He opened his mouth to speak, but she beat him to it as she stretched up on her toes to whisper in his ear:  
  
“Take me home John.”  
  
His cock was rock hard now, but he had to be sure,  
  
“Sure luv, I’ll take you home, where do you live?” he asked, deliberately misunderstanding her.  
  
“No,” she breathed and nipped at his earlobe. “Take me to  _your_  home…you’re single aren’t you?”  
  
Her meaning was crystal clear as she nuzzled the chiseled line of his jaw with soft, damp kisses.  
  
“Yeah, I’m single, but are you sure about this? You’ve had a lot to drink sweetheart,” he pointed out.  
  
“I’m sure John, unless you’d rather not, I can just go,” she replied, kissing his neck, but then moving to pull away.  
  
Porter’s arms held her fast and he kissed her slowly. Raising his head he said emphatically. “Oh, I’d rather do. C’mon luv, let’s get out of here.”  
  
What had followed was the most passionate, most erotic night of John Porter’s life. They had brought each other to bone melting, skin quivering climax over and over again until they had both fallen into exhausted slumber, spooned together in his bed. When John awoke, just after dawn, and reached for her, she was gone. He racked his brain to explain why she had fled – the intimacy they had shared had been more than simply physical, much more. He couldn’t define it or explain it, but he knew that he wanted, no, he needed to see her again.   
  
He had tried to find her, but they had never shared contact information, or even last names. They hadn’t discussed their work, which might have given him a clue where to look for her; he was not without resources, just without information. He had returned to the pub numerous times in hopes of catching her, but she was never there again. Now, six months later, he had virtually given up hope of finding her, but erotic dreams of the night they had shared kept her constantly on his mind. He was beginning to wonder if the whole experience had been a dream.  
  
While he had searched for Lindsey, he had also begun making changes in his life. His days of risking life and limb for the realm were over. He resigned with honors from the army and accepted a position as a civilian consultant and training advisor to Section 20. He still travelled occasionally for training missions, but not as an operative. It was the best of both worlds for him. He could remain an active part of the security services, but based in London with a more stable, less dangerous schedule. His new position had done wonders for his relationship with his daughter Lexie (she preferred Alex, but she tolerated Lexie for his sake) who was now enrolled at the University of Reading. He was able to visit her there and she came to stay at his new flat in London over holidays and breaks.  
  
Porter smiled to himself as he climbed out of bed, shaking off the sensual remnants of the dream, reminding himself that he was going to spend the day with Lexie in Reading before she left for a Christmas holiday trip with Diane’s parents later that evening. He had been out of the country for a few weeks on a training mission, so he was looking forward to seeing his daughter. John would have liked to spend Christmas with her, but they planned to spend New Year’s together when she got back from her trip. He was on his own for Christmas, but that was nothing new.  
  
It was shortly after 8:00 am when John pulled away from his flat in the new Range Rover that he’d purchased with a portion of his settlement. The Rover and the flat were the only big ticket items he’d bought and their purchase had barely made a dent in the funds. He had turned the management of the remainder over to a mate from the regiment who had gone into finance after the army. After putting a generous amount in trust for Lexie, he had invested the rest in a series of very risky but ultimately very profitable ventures. After years of living on nothing, John was a bit chagrined to realize that he now had more money than he would ever spend. He had pretty simple tastes, but he did enjoy being able to spoil Lexie with gifts after so many years of hardship. She didn’t expect anything from him, but she was always appreciative.  
  
John parked the Rover outside of Lexie’s flat about an hour and a half later. Traffic on the M4 had been light, but he’d stopped at the market to grab the ingredients to make them breakfast. He wasn’t the world’s greatest cook, but he could manage some eggs and bacon. Lexie had just gotten up for the day, so the timing was perfect. She hugged her father warmly and helped him bring the groceries to the kitchen.  
  
After breakfast they went into Reading for some final Christmas shopping. John was gifting Lexie with new luggage for her holiday trip, so they picked that out as well. Their shopping completed they went to the cinema to see the new Bond film, and as usual, much to Lexie’s annoyance, John had snickered mockingly through much of it. They returned to Lexie’s flat after the film and John kept her company as she packed for her trip. Her grandparents were picking her up around 6:00pm for an early dinner and then on to Heathrow to catch a late evening flight.  
  
  
Shortly before 6:00, John carried Lexie’s bags to the car and kissed her goodbye, slipping 100£ for spending money into her coat pocket. He waved as they drove off. John had declined the polite invitation to join them for dinner since his relationship with Diane’s parents was still strained. He locked up Lexie’s flat and walked to his car thinking that he would stop for a bite to eat at a pub on the way back to London – he recalled that there was one just off the M4 in Shinfield…the Black Something if he remembered correctly.   
  
An hour later, John had eaten a hearty dinner at the Black Boy Pub and was on his way out when the door flew open with a flurry of snow and a woman burst in, crashing directly into him. He instinctively reached to steady her as she bounced back from his solid, muscled frame, noting a few auburn curls escaping from under her knitted hat.  
“Oh, I’m so sorry,” she said, righting herself and then looked up at him, her green eyes widening in shock.   
  
John had been smiling at the her snowy entrance, preparing to graciously brush off her apology as unnecessary when he’d simultaneously noted her distinctly American accent and the bright green eyes peering out at him between her hat and scarf. He slowly reached out one hand and pushed her scarf down, revealing a familiar face. It was  _her_  – Lindsey! Here in Reading of all places.  
  
“Lindsey, I…,” he started to say when she did an abrupt about face and charged back out the door, away from him.  
  
Porter’s jaw tightened… _oh no, not this time_ , he thought,  _she’s not getting away from me again._  He rushed out the door after her. John caught up with her in three long strides and gently grasped her arm, turning her to face him.  
  
“Where are you going luv? Don’t you think we should talk?” he rumbled.  
  
“Talk about what? A drunken hook-up six months ago? Why?” she answered, a deep flush belying her flippant words.  
  
“It was more than that, and you know it. Come back inside….please?” He said softly.  
  
Lindsey looked up at him, surprised by the longing in his deep voice, the same chocolate voice that she had heard in her dreams for the past six months. She sighed softly,  
  
“You’re right John, we should talk, but not here – it’s too public. My house is only five minutes from here. Why don’t you follow me there?” She said.  
  
“You always invite virtual strangers into your house luv?” he asked, smirking.  
  
“Well, since you had ample opportunity to do me in the last time we met, and I lived to tell the tale, I think I’m safe enough with you.” She blushed furiously at his raised eyebrow.   
  
“All right then, lead the way,” Porter said.  
  
Lindsey Tate could not believe what had just happened. She had spent the day completing her grades for the fall term at the University of Reading where she was as a visiting professor. She decided to stop at the Black Boy to pick up something to take home for dinner since she didn’t feel like cooking. He was the last person she had expected to see when she burst in from the cold. Of all places on earth, why had he turned up, after six months, at the pub in her neighborhood? After the initial shock dissipated, her flight reflex had propelled her out the door away from him.  
  
She wasn’t really surprised that he had followed her out– he deserved an explanation. He had been right that the night they’d spent together had been more than a one night stand between two strangers. It may have started out that way, but something magical had happened between them. Not a day had gone by in the past six months that she hadn’t thought about him, dreamed about him, yearned for him. She had assumed that her feelings were one sided, but the note of longing in his voice, and the soft look in his beautiful blue eyes as he’d asked her to come back into the pub suggested otherwise. Lindsey wondered where to begin as she got into her car and drove around so he could follow her. She had no idea what to say to him now…the truth might just be too strange to believe.  
  
She had only been in England for a few weeks on the night they had met. She had been staying in London while the house in Shinfield was prepared for her. A friend had set up a blind date, determined to encourage Lindsey to acclimate to the social scene. The blind date had failed to show and she had been about to leave the pub when John walked up to her table. The joke about “feeling vulnerable” had completely disarmed her. The physical attraction she had felt for him had been instantaneous as she’d surveyed his tall muscular frame and handsome angular face. Her breath had caught in her throat as she looked into his piercing blue eyes. His size and looks might have been intimidating, but his friendly banter and gruff Northern charm had put her at ease quickly. Lindsey had been amazed at how easy it was to talk to him about a variety of topics. She had a quick, witty sense of humor, but she was usually rather reticent with strangers. Not with John though. They had joked and laughed for hours.   
  
Lindsey found herself more and more attracted to him until she finally decided to make the first move, her inhibitions lowered by a fair amount of liquid courage. When she had pounced on him in the darkened hallway, John had joined in the game with gusto, kissing her back ardently until his sense of honor had kicked in. Lindsey had found his insistent chivalry a potent attraction, only adding to her already flaming desire for him.  
  
The night of passion that followed had shaken Lindsey to her core. It was not the intense eroticism of their lovemaking, but the unexpected emotional intimacy which had developed between them that had alarmed her. She hadn’t felt that kind of connection to anyone in a very long time and hadn’t really been sure how to handle it or him. Instead, she had snuck out like a thief into the predawn stillness. She realized now that she had been craving human connection in that pub, and she had found more of it then she’d bargained for in his arms. The combination of his overwhelming physicality and tender sweetness had completely undone her at the time. Seeing him again, hearing his low velvety voice brought it all vividly back to the surface. Lindsey took a deep breath and tried to calm her nerves for the coming conversation as she pulled into the car park of the converted manor barn that had quickly become home to her. Looking in the rearview mirror, she saw John’s black Range Rover pull in behind her and thought,  _No turning back now_ , as she got out of her car and waited while he walked up the driveway.  
  
Porter waited patiently as she unlocked the door and held it open for him to come in behind her. He had taken only two steps into the kitchen when something solid and furry careened into his legs and began to rumble. He looked down to see an enormous gray cat twining itself around his ankles. Porter smiled briefly and then winced as the cat realized its mistake and dug its claws into his leg before hissing and streaking toward Lindsey who reached down to pick it up while pushing the door shut with her foot.  
  
“Sorry about that – did he get you? He’s a little nervous around strangers,” Lindsey said, rubbing the cat’s ears while he purred loudly.  
  
“I think I’ll live,” Porter chuckled. “You might have warned me that you kept a puma in here though. What’s his name?”  
  
“Sherman. Like the tank,” Lindsey smiled, and then frowned when Sherman hissed again as John reached a cautious hand out to pet him.  
  
“Sometimes it takes him a while to warm up to people, especially men,” she explained. “I’ll put him upstairs.” Gesturing to the hall, “The living room is through there, and there is a closet on the right if you’d like to hang up your coat. Make yourself at home, I’ll be right back,” Lindsey said as she left the room with Sherman glaring balefully at John over her shoulder.  
  
 _Well, that was an interesting ice breaker_  Porter thought with a one sided smirk as he went to the closet and hung up his coat. His observant eye quickly noted that his was the only piece of masculine apparel in the closet which contained several other jackets and assorted other outerwear. That’s promising he thought, closing the door and kicking off his wet shoes before walking down the carpeted hall leading to Lindsey’s living room. As he walked through the house he noted that the decor was subtle and tasteful, comfortable contemporary pieces mixed with assorted antiques. The effect was a welcoming, cozy charm. He was looking at some pictures on the wall when he heard Lindsey’s voice from upstairs.  
  
“Would you mind lighting the fire? It’s gas, you can just flip the switch next to the hearth. As long as I’m up here, I’m going to change,” she called down.  
  
“No problem,” he replied flipping the switch and watching as a cheerful fire sprang to life in the hearth. He watched the fire for a few minutes, wondering how to begin what was certain to be an awkward conversation. He turned when he heard Lindsey coming down the stairs, her loose auburn curls brushing her shoulders as she walked. He saw that she had changed into a pair of faded jeans that hugged her long shapely legs, and an oversized Notre Dame University sweatshirt that hid most of what Porter remembered as a beautifully voluptuous body. He grinned when he saw the fuzzy pink slippers on her feet. Lindsey’s cheeks flushed as she followed his gaze and she said defensively,  
  
“My feet are cold.”  
  
It was all John could do not to offer to warm her feet for her. He was still rather at a loss at how to begin when she said,  
  
“Boy, this is really awkward, isn’t it? Would you like a beer or something? I’d love it if we could just sit and talk like we did before we got all hot and bothered,” she said bluntly.  
  
Porter snorted with laughter, “You don’t beat about the bush do you?”  
  
Lindsey shrugged, smiling ruefully and replied, “It’s going to be awkward anyway, we might as well get it out there. Beer?” She asked as she headed toward the kitchen. “I have to grab something to eat – I’m starved, can I get you anything?”  
  
Porter shook his head, amazed at her candor and wondering anew why she had left without a word six months ago. She seemed so forthright now.  
  
“I just ate, but a beer would be great, thanks,” he said as she turned to go back to the kitchen.  
  
“Make yourself comfy, I’ll be right back,” Lindsey said as she walked to the kitchen.  
  
Porter rose from his seat on the sofa when she came back into the room and took the bottle she held out to him. Lindsey turned and set her own bottle and the small plate she was carrying on the coffee table and held out her hand to him saying,  
  
“Hello, I’m Lindsey Tate, it is a pleasure to meet you again.”   
  
Setting his bottle down, he took her hand gently between both of his and replied with a grin, “John Porter, the pleasure is all mine Lindsey Tate.”  
  
She moved to on one end of the sofa and invited him to sit on the other.  
  
“It’s very nice to formally meet you John Porter, I’ve thought about you a lot in the past few months. I shouldn’t have snuck out without a word like that – I’m really sorry,” she said to him earnestly, forcing herself to hold his gaze.  
  
“Why did you leave? Did I do something…say something to upset you ?” Porter asked cautiously. “I tried to find you, but you had just disappeared.”  
  
“No! No, it was nothing that you did John. You were amazing…everything was amazing, it’s just that I…um…I…,” she faltered.   
  
“Don’t usually sleep with strangers you’ve picked up in pubs?” he offered helpfully, sensing her growing discomfort.  
  
Lindsey looked up at him, her green eyes wary, trying to read his thoughts. She cautiously nodded her head. He could tell that there was something she was holding back, but he didn’t want to push her too hard. It was a miracle that he’d found her again, he didn’t intend to waste the opportunity by scaring her off.  
  
“I didn’t think that you did luv, you don’t fit the profile,” he assured her, reaching across the sofa to take her hands. “Look, what happened between us happened, there is nothing to be ashamed of, nothing to regret,” he said, squeezing her hands gently. He could feel her emotion as she weighed what he’d said. Then he saw and felt her relax.  
  
Lindsey smiled, and then she looked up into his face and replied audaciously, “On the plus side, now that we have the embarrassingly awesome first sex out of the way, we can get to know each other better without all that pressure.”  
  
  
Deep rumbling chuckles broke from Porter’s chest. He slid a bit closer reaching out to pull her into a gentle laughing hug. “I would like very much to get to know you better luv.” He released her and sat back on the sofa, still smiling widely and asked, “What brings you to England Ms. Tate?”  
  
“That’s Dr. Tate, if you please. I am here as a visiting professor at the University of Reading. A friend is giving me a great deal on this house which explains why I am in Shinfield,” she said archly. “What brings a townie like you to this neck of the woods?” Lindsey asked.  
  
“My daughter is a student at the uni. I came to visit her before she left on a Christmas holiday with her grandparents. They’ve tried to travel together more since Lexie’s mother passed away last year.” John explained.  
  
“I’m sorry about your…” Lindsey began awkwardly.  
  
“It’s OK, Diane and I were separated for a long time before she died. It’s been a lot harder on Lexie though, especially when I need to travel for work. I’m a consultant for a security firm,” John explained.   
  
It was not entirely true, but it was all he could tell her at the moment. His work was no longer top secret, but neither could he simply reveal exactly what he did. Lindsey didn’t see any reason to question what he’d told her. But then, she was a bit distracted. She’d been listening to him, but she had also been turning something else over in her mind since he’d mentioned his daughter’s name.  
  
“Lexie Porter…that name seems so familiar,” Lindsey said thinking a minute longer and then she realized why. “Are Lexie Porter and Alex Porter one and the same?” she asked with a smile.  
  
“Yeah, she prefers Alex, but she makes allowances for me,” he replied with a smirk. “Why do you ask?”  
  
“Alex was in one of my classes this fall. Nice girl…good student,” Lindsey said with a smile.  
  
“Very small world isn’t it! What do you teach anyway?” John asked.  
  
Lindsey groaned and said, “This is where you either get very interested or very bored…I teach ancient history and archaeology.”   
  
“Like Indiana Jones?” John teased.  
  
“Something like that…if you’re very good, I’ll show you my fedora and whip,” she flushed, not quite believing she had said that. By the raised eyebrow and smirk on John’s face, he was surprised too.  
  
“Not bored Dr. Tate, definitely not bored!” Porter laughed both at her comment and at her reaction to it. Since he could not go into detail about his work, as long as they were on the subject, he asked her another question about hers.  
  
“Are you working on anything special right now?”  
  
She looked sideways at him, “We don’t have to talk about my work you know, you’ll probably fall asleep!” she said, only partially joking.  
  
“Really, now you have to tell me, or we’ll need to talk more about that whip,” he said winking at her.  
  
Lindsey fiddled a bit with her beer bottle as she answered. “You asked for it…actually, it is kind of relevant given today’s date. I’m writing an article on comparative religious practice…How various religions celebrate the winter solstice. It’s the time of the year when the days are the shortest and the nights the longest. The solstice marks the transitional period and the days start getting longer. Many religions celebrated the winter solstice as a time of renewal and rebirth…holidays like Hanukkah, Christmas are only two of many more ancient celebrations marking the solstice…it’s tonight you know,” she finished, looking back at him.  
  
John had laid his head against the back of the sofa and was pretending to sleep, letting out a soft snore as she finished speaking. She laughed and punched him lightly in the arm, noting the hardness of the muscle under her fist and remembering how those strong arms had felt wrapped around her straining body as they’d made love. She cleared her throat abruptly and said,  
  
“Very funny! I told you so!”  
  
“Just kidding luv. That actually is very interesting. So tonight is the longest night of the year?” he assured her with a brilliant smile, his blue eyes twinkling with humor.  
  
“Yeah, the actual solstice occurs just after midnight….bring on the rebirth and renewal,” Lindsey said, a brief shadow crossing her face as she turned to take a drink from her beer.   
  
John’s smile faded a bit. He had noticed this before. She would be talking happily about something and then for a brief moment, a look of deep sadness would envelop the sparkle in her vivid green eyes and she would pause briefly before mentally pushing it back. He had been aware of the same penetrating sorrow earlier when she had been trying to explain why she had left him months ago. There was something troubling her, he wished she would tell him, but she clearly did not want to talk about it. Lindsey rose with her empty bottle and turned to him,  
  
“Another?”  
  
“I would love one, but if I’m going to drive back to London tonight, I probably shouldn’t,” he answered.  
  
“Oh, right, I hadn’t thought about that. Do you need to get on the road right away? I thought that we could maybe watch a movie or something?” she said quietly.  
  
“That sounds great – do you have popcorn?” he replied looking expectantly at her.  
  
Lindsey relaxed and laughed, “I’m American, what do you think?! The DVD’s are in the cabinet under the TV…pick out whatever you like…fair warning thought, I am a chick, so there might be a skewed number of ‘chick flicks.’” With that she went off to the kitchen to make popcorn while John searched through her DVD collection and settled on  _The Fifth Element_ a futuristic story starring Bruce Willis and Milla Jovovich. She had eclectic taste in movies. There were several that he’d seen, and several that looked interesting, he noted for future reference. He was putting the DVD in the player when he heard her call his name from the kitchen and went to see what she needed. She was looking out the window in the kitchen as the popcorn popped in the microwave.  
  
“It’s snowing really hard out there now...do you need to be back in London tonight?” she asked anxiously.  
  
“No, but I drive a Range Rover, I think it can handle 40 miles of snow on the M4 luv,” he laughed.   
  
She turned to him, a look of concern marring her brow, and said softly, “Why risk it? You can spend the night here and head back in the morning,”   
  
His expressive brows shot up and a naughty smirk curved one side of his sensuous mouth, “Really?”  
  
“I have three bedrooms randy! You can have one of the two that are not occupied by me!” she replied laughing merrily.   
  
The idea held a vast amount of appeal. While John had no real problem driving to London in the snow and dark, there was no reason to hurry back. He was off of work until after Christmas and he would much rather spend the evening watching a movie curled on the sofa with Lindsey than holed up alone in his flat.  
  
“Thanks, I think I’ll take you up on that – as long as you can promise that there’ll be no funny business…” he said with a brow wiggling leer.  
  
Lindsey snorted and handed him the bowl of popcorn, “Scout’s honor,” she replied and proceeded to smack him lightly on the rear as they headed back down the hall to the living room. John shot her a look that promised eventual retribution. They curled up together under a blanket on the sofa to watch the movie. The easy familiarity they had established in the pub returned as they watched the film. It was one they had both seen before, so they chatted at various points. Ninety minutes later, John asked Lindsey a question about an ancient Egyptian image on the screen. When she didn’t answer, he looked down to see that she had fallen asleep resting against him. He smiled and looked at his watch: 9:30. Lindsey must have had a long day in already. Shifting her gently, he cuddled her closer as he watched the rest of the film. When it ended around 10:00 PM, John eased out from under Lindsey and lifted her sleeping form in his arms to carry her upstairs to bed.   
  
He found the master bedroom easily. Like the rest of the house, it was decorated in subtle colors, but there was a much more distinctly feminine quality to this room. It suited her he thought as he pulled back the intricate patchwork quilt and softly laid her on the bed. He looked down at her tenderly…she looked like a little girl as she slept, turning her head to the side, her hands under her cheek, her auburn curls flowing across the white pillowcase. John paused. He hated to leave her in jeans for bed, but he didn’t want to embarrass her either. Practicality won out and he reached to unbutton her jeans, sliding them down her long, smooth legs, and noting the tiny flowers on the white cotton knickers peeking out from under her sweatshirt. John swallowed hard and quickly covered her beautiful bare legs with the bedcovers and then shook his head. He had tasted virtually every inch of her luscious body during that unforgettable night, but sight of her bare legs was about to undo him. Seeing Sherman curled up on a chair in the corner of the room, he left her door ajar and went to find one of the available guest bedrooms down the hall trying to regain mastery of his unruly body.  
  
Thirty minutes later Porter was still trying to fall asleep. A career in the army had trained him to sleep almost anywhere, under any conditions. Lindsey’s guestroom was a haven compared to some of the places he’d bunked. He attributed his restlessness to her proximity down the hall. He could not get the sight of her long, beautiful legs out of his mind, and oddly, the thought of her modest cotton panties made his mouth go dry. He flipped over and pounded the pillow. He had just rolled over again when he heard a muffled scream, and then a sob. He shot out of the bed in nothing but his fitted black boxer shorts and went across the hall to find Lindsey writhing on her bed, whimpering in the grip of a nightmare. Porter was no stranger to nightmares, and from where he was standing, this was a bad one. She was mumbling something about Mom and Dad and someone called Tom, but it was largely incoherent. He was about to wake her when she sat up and woke with a short scream, her chest heaving as she panted. She started to shake uncontrollably with heart wrenching sobs. Porter climbed onto the bed and wrapped his arms around her. She wept brokenly against his chest.   
  
“I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry. It was my fault, I’m so sorry,” she cried over and over again, her hot tears sliding in rivulets down his bare chest.   
  
“Lindsey luv, it was just a dream, it’s OK baby. You’re safe now, it’s OK,” he crooned into her ear, rocking her gently.  
  
“John? What?…where?” she whispered, confused.  
  
“It’s OK sweetheart, I’m here. It was just a bad dream, you’re OK baby,” he repeated kissing the top of her head softly and running soothing hands up and down the length of her back.   
  
“No, no, it’s not OK, you don’t understand…they’re dead and it’s my fault…I killed them!” she sobbed.   
  
John was momentarily shocked. It was not possible that the woman he held in his arms had killed anyone. He knew very well what it took to kill, and she did not possess it. He held her and comforted her until she quieted. He wiped her face with a cool cloth that he’d fetched from her bathroom and gathered her into his lap, cradling her in his arms. When her breathing returned to normal he asked,  
  
“Lindsey, do you want to tell me about it?”  
  
“I don’t know if I want to, but I think I have to. I don’t even know where to start,” she whispered brokenly.  
  
John’s heart contracted. He could hear the pain in her voice, see it in her eyes. He knew that pain. He had lived with it for seven years after Basra. He still lived with it.  
  
“It’s OK luv, just start at the beginning,” he murmured in his soothing chocolate voice.  
  
From the safety of his strong, sheltering arms, she poured out the story of her charmed life…wonderful parents, idyllic childhood, perfect fiancé, and how it was all ripped away in an instant. It was almost exactly two years ago. Her parents had been visiting her and her fiancé Tom in Philadelphia where she had been working in a museum on a post-doctoral fellowship. They had all gone together for dinner and then for a drive to look at the lights of the city from this distance. Lindsey had been driving. The road had been unfamiliar and it had begun to snow. She lost control on a patch of black ice and the car had plunged off the road into a ravine. Lindsey had been the only survivor of the crash that had killed both of her parents and her fiancé. Ironically, a malfunctioning seatbelt had resulted in her being ejected from the car before it plunged into the ravine. The malfunction had saved her life, but at a tremendous cost to her soul. She could not forgive herself for their deaths. It was her fault they were dead…if only…if only…if only. While she had recuperated in the hospital and then at home, well-meaning friends had tried to get through to her, but she couldn’t shake off her grief, or her guilt. Everywhere she looked, she saw remnants of a life she no longer had. All she had left was her career, and she had let it consume her, deliberately distancing herself from emotional ties.  
  
Finally, a year ago, a British friend from graduate school told her about an opportunity at the University of Reading and gently suggested that perhaps a change of setting would do her good, help her to heal and to start fresh. Lindsey agreed and applied immediately. Three months later she’d been offered the position: two years as a visiting professor with the potential of a permanent position. Seven months ago she had sold the majority of her belongings, as well as her childhood home and had moved to England. Three weeks after that, she had met John in the London pub.  
  
“I lied to you earlier when I let you think that I had run away from you because I was embarrassed about how we met. I wasn’t embarrassed, I was petrified,” she confessed softly, looking deep into his blue eyes. “What we shared that night was incredible…it wasn’t just sex for me, it was almost spiritual. I’ve never felt like that before, not even with Tom. I was terrified by it, so I panicked and I ran” Tears rolled silently down her cheeks as she dropped her pain filled eyes to her lap. “Now you know the truth…I am an emotional cripple who killed her parents and her fiancé and can’t deal with the guilt. Nobody will ever understand how that feels.”  
  
“You didn’t kill anyone Lindsey,” she heard John’s beautiful dark voice rumble near her ear. She looked up into his face and was amazed by the tender concern she saw there. “It was an accident, a horrible accident, but you didn’t kill them,” he said. “And you’re wrong about no one understanding it….I understand exactly how you feel.”  
  
She shook her head at him, “You can’t possibly know, no one can,” she murmured softly, without rancor.  
  
“But I can, I do understand…” he replied, and then he told her the whole story, knowing without a doubt, that he could trust her with any secret. He told her about the Bratton extraction, about sparing Asad, about the death of his mates being on his head. He told her about eight years of living with the guilt and remorse for having made a decision that had resulted in their deaths. He told her that he wondered even now, that he had been exonerated, if they would still be alive if he had acted differently in any way.  
  
Lindsey watched the blue eyes that had gazed so tenderly at her, cloud with a grief that matched her own. He did understand, she realized as she wrapped her arms around him, saying softly, “It wasn’t your fault John, you didn’t kill your friends, any more than I killed my parents and Tom. It was an accident, a horrible accident.” In that moment, their guilt ravaged souls found a place to heal in one another. John looked deep into her eyes as he gently wiped the tears from her face and saw the promise of something incredible in their clear green depths. He lowered his head to softly kiss her lips. Lindsey sighed and returned his tender kiss, stroking her fingers through his dark hair. Releasing her lips, John buried his head in the fragrant curve of her neck and breathed in the scent of her, as his arms wrapped her tighter and he felt her hands caress his neck. They stayed that way, each drawing in the comfort and understanding that the other offered.  
  
John could have held her like that forever. The communion between them was so strong that he could feel it in his bones. She understood this part of him like no one else ever could. She knew the heart of him – the rest was only detail that could be filled in along the way. He sensed that she felt the same way, but he wouldn’t push her. He wanted her to come to it in her own time without any pressure. He moved to pull gently away, intending to say goodnight and return to his own room across the hall. She pulled him back to her and whispered in his ear,  
  
“Stay – please stay.” She cupped her hands on his cheeks and turned his head to look deeply into his eyes before she kissed his mouth, softly at first, but with increasing insistence, breaking away to breathe, “I want to start fresh – with you…I love you John. I know it’s crazy. I know it’s too soon, but I love you.” She heard his sharp intake of breath as she captured his mouth again, and this time all trace of gentleness was gone, replaced by a fiery passion that ignited between them, their tongues tangling wildly together. John groaned deeply and shifted them so they lay side by side on the bed, rumbling deeply in her ear, “Lindsey…I love you Lindsey…yes….luv…yes.”  
  
He joined their lips in a voluptuous kiss, gasping as her tongue danced across his, darting and retreating, inviting him to the chase. John was matching her every move when she abruptly pulled back, placing a restraining hand on his chest as she sat up. His brow wrinkled in a questioning frown until he saw her cross her arms to take off her sweatshirt, leaving her clad only in a white cotton bra and the panties that had driven him mad earlier. The frown cleared from his face and his eyes darkened with lust. He reached for her, but she pushed him back again, moving to straddle his hips where she could feel the evidence of his desire for her trapped in the cradle of her thighs. She smiled wickedly at him, her eyes never leaving his as she slowly and deliberately slipped her arms out of the straps of her bra before reaching behind her back to unhook it. It sagged forward, and John groaned in frustrated anticipation when she stopped its descent by trapping it under her arms as she leaned forward to kiss his lips. As they kissed, she pulled the bra out from between them and pressed her bare breasts flush against his muscled chest. A growl of satisfaction tore from him and he grasped her hips, moving her back and forth against the rock hard erection straining against his boxers.  
  
Lindsey raised her head and laughed darkly, tilting her hips against him as she moved to trail kisses along his jaw, down the long, muscled column of this neck and across his chest. She felt the rapid beat of his heart beneath her lips as she sucked one of his stiffened nipples into her warm mouth. She moved back and forth across the sculpted surface of his chest leaving a trail of red hot desire everywhere her warm, wet mouth and tongue touched. John attempted to sit up and flip them over, but she resisted saying only, “Relax baby, let me…” He laid back and surrendered himself to the tender torture that Lindsey seemed intent on inflicting as her head moved lower to kiss and nibble long the rippled planes of his abdomen. She shifted her body down his thighs and paused for some moments to kiss and lick at his navel. Her warm hands traced a path along his hips and thighs as she reached underneath him, sliding her hands over his firm bottom before urging him quietly to lift up so she could pull off his boxers. John moaned softly as Lindsey took him into her hand, stroking his turgid flesh and dropping soft, moist kisses along the shaft then licking delicately at the head before she enveloped him in the wet warmth of her mouth. He moans grew louder as she sucked and licked at his cock, swirling her tongue around the head and then taking him as far as she could into her mouth while one soft hand encircled the base and the other stroked his balls. Again and again she moved her mouth up and down his shaft, her fingers pumping in countermotion around the base.  
  
John gasped, and reached a hand to gently pull her hair…if she didn’t stop soon, he was going to come in her mouth. None of his previous lovers had ever wanted that. Lindsey reached up to push his hand from her hair, lightly dragging her teeth along his cock in a passionate warning before resuming her rhythmic suckling. A deep groan rumbled from John’s chest as he realized her intention, and his excitement grew intensely. Lindsey’s hand had returned to cup his balls. Feeling how close he was, she tightened her fingers around the base of his cock and opened her throat wider to allow as much of his generous length into her mouth as possible, while her tongue flickered repeatedly along the sensitive underside of his rigid, veined shaft. Growling, John’s hands clutched in her hair and his hips bucked into her mouth, as he came in long, warm spurts that she swallowed hungrily. He gasped and panted, struggling to catch his breath. A renewed frisson of pleasure pulsed through him as he looked down to see Lindsey licking him clean like a fastidious cat, her auburn curls pooling on his taut belly. Feeling his eyes on her, she looked up with a Cheshire smile and slowly ran her tongue along her bottom lip. He felt his satiated flesh twitch in response.  
  
“Bloody hell woman, are you trying to kill me?” Porter rumbled, pulling her up to lay across his chest.  
  
“Only _la petite mort mon cher_ ,” she said huskily, stretching across him and sighing as the rigid tips of her breasts rubbed through the light smattering of hair on his chest. “It feels like you are already coming back to life,” she grinned, wriggling her hips against his groin. Porter tilted his hips up and shivered at the shot of renewed lust that lanced through him as he felt the warm damp cotton of her knickers rub against his half hard cock.  
  
Flipping her beneath him he purred, “Well you know luv, what’s good for the goose…” and kissed her lips, tasting his own arousal in her mouth. He wrinkled his nose, deciding that he would much rather taste her.  _All in good time_  he thought with a wicked smirk. First he wanted to tease her a bit while he reacquainted himself with every inch of her gorgeous body.  
  
He started at the top of her head, his strong, elegant hands weaving through her tousled hair to gently massage her scalp while he scattered soft butterfly kisses on her brow, her closed eyes and the tip of her nose. His hands moved to frame her face as he gently kissed her lips in moist, open mouth nudges, his tongue barely grazing hers before he retreated, kissing along her jaw then nibbling softly at the enticing curve beneath her ear.  
  
Lindsey hummed in pleasure at his soft, slow seduction, running her fingers through his thick dark hair to hold his head to her. She let out a slow hiss of desire when his beautiful hands coasted across her collarbones and over her smooth shoulders, coming to rest on the full curves of her breasts, kneading gently, while he breathed softly in her ear as his mouth explored it.   
  
John continued his tender assault on her senses, kissing along the slender column of her neck and lingering at the curve of her shoulder when he felt her shiver and clutch in his hair. His hands at her breasts alternated from gently kneading to rolling and tweaking her deep pink nipples between his fingers until they became rigid nubs begging for the attention of his mouth. He shifted his body across her and kissed his way to her breasts, his tongue making a scalding sweep around one nipple before pulling it into his mouth and suckling it as his fingers continued to caress its twin. Lindsey moaned softly as pleasure streaked through her body.   
  
John’s dark head lifted from her breast and he looked up, pinning her in place with a lust filled glance that made her toes curl. When his mouth returned to tongue and nibble at her other nipple, she moaned again and began to shift restlessly beneath him, trying to pull his hips to her. John smiled darkly against her rosy flesh, pausing his suckling to remove her hands from his hips. Holding both of her wrists over her head in one large hand he purred her own words in her ear. “Relax baby, let me.” His free hand moved lower to caress the petal soft skin of her abdomen. When that same warm hand reached the waist band of her panties, her hips arched off the bed, anticipating his touch on her throbbing center. John’s velvet chuckles caressed her ears as his warm tongue dipped into her navel. “Not so fast,” he rumbled, dropping a brief kiss on her cotton covered mound, inhaling the intoxicating scent of her arousal before releasing her wrists and turning her to her stomach.   
  
Lindsey groaned with frustrated desire, then hummed with pleasure as she felt John’s warm body press skin to skin against the length of her back.  
  
“Good things come to those who wait luv,” he murmured deeply into her ear as his warm hands slid down her sides, coming to rest at her hips. John sat back, kneeling between her parted legs to feast his eyes on the long, elegant curve of her back. Her pale skin glowed in the soft light coming in through the skylight above the bed. Her hips flared gently from the inward curves of her waist framing a beautifully rounded backside accentuated by the flowered white cotton of her panties. John kissed the base of her spine, flicking his tongue out against her while his hands gently squeezed her bottom, relishing the feel of the firm globes. Lindsey moaned and pushed towards him, but then gasped as she felt a light, stinging smack on her behind. She looked back, over her shoulder to see John smiling at her in lustful satisfaction, as if to say, “That’s payback!” She smiled back at him briefly, but then dropped her forehead to the pillow as his hands moved to pull off her arousal soaked panties. She helped him shimmy them down her legs and kicked them off, then groaned as his clever fingers found the aching entrance to her body from behind and teased it for just a minute before pulling away. He was only gone long enough to flip her to her back again, his hands returning to stroke the warm, wet crevice, gently spreading her plump folds to find the glistening nub of her clitoris and stroke it softly.  
  
Lindsey went wild, clamping her legs around John’s hand and grabbing his head in her hands to force his eyes to hers. The wild desire he saw sparking in her eyes made him groan as his cock grew impossibly hard. The time for teasing her was over. He kissed her plush lips, plundering her mouth with his tongue. His broad thumb continued circling her aching nub as he plunged two fingers into her snug channel. Lindsey’s eyes rolled back in her head with pleasure when his long fingers nudged at the perfect spot. She moaned deeply and lifted her hips to meet the rhythmic thrusts of his hand.   
  
John was electrified by the heat of her response to him. His need to be inside her was reaching the critical point, but he was desperate to taste her first. Continuing the thrusts of his fingers, he replaced the thumb on her nub with the moist heat of his mouth as his tongue darted out to lick her before he began to suckle intently.  
  
“Oh my God John…” she gasped.  
  
The sight of his dark head moving between her thighs, combined with the incredible feeling of his hands and mouth worshipping her body, drove Lindsey over the edge. She groaned softly, calling his name as the shudders of a powerful climax began to ripple through her body. John felt her velvet walls clench tightly on his fingers and tasted the musk of her orgasm on his tongue as he continued to suckle gently, easing her back down.  
  
Moments later, her murmuring voice brought his head up and her beckoning arms urged him to slide over her body to kiss her mouth. It was his turn to gasp as her hand wrapped around his intense erection, pumping gently while she urged huskily,  
  
“That was fucking epic John, but I really need you inside me NOW!” Tightening her hand around him, she led him to her aching entrance. He groaned and knelt between her legs, nudging the head of his cock against her damp opening.  
  
“God yes luv, but I don’t have a condom – do you?” he asked panting as he fought to keep himself from plunging into her welcoming warmth.  
  
“It’s OK – I have an IUD, and you are the only man I’ve slept with in two years. I trust you if you tell me it’s OK.  
  
He was humbled by her faith in him. He was completely healthy, but that she trusted his word, his honor, made him love her even more. He kissed her mouth before rumbling in her ear, “It’s more than OK. You are amazing. I love you Lindsey,” John groaned again when he felt her body arch against his cock as he pushed slowly inside. He held his breath as he slid into the welcoming tightness, letting it out with a sigh as her throbbing channel sheathed him fully. Lindsey moaned at the incredible fullness of their joining, raising her hips to meet his as he began a gentle, sliding rhythm. Hungry for more of him, she bent her knees and spread her legs wider to change the angle between them and clutched at his firm behind urging,  
  
“Please John, harder, faster, please!”  
  
John growled in his chest at the new sensation and deeper penetration of their altered position. He began deep, pounding thrusts that had Lindsey moaning with delight as she caught the new rhythm, her body matching his movements instinctively. With her knees up and her legs spread wide, her body was opened to him like a flower. He reached to caress her clit as the thrusts of his cock shook her. He watched her face flush a rosy red as he felt her begin to convulse around him, her tight channel squeezing him as waves rippled out from her center. She wrapped her legs tightly around his waist, urging him to come with her. Blue eyes met green as John linked his hands with hers and with a final hard thrust, catapulted them both into a spine tingling orgasm.  
  
John’s head dropped to Lindsey’s chest and he felt the rapid rise and fall gradually slow as her breathing began to steady. He pulled her with him as he rolled onto his side, pushing the hair back from her face and looking deep into her beautiful, passion clouded eyes. He smiled wide when he heard her speak,  
  
“You were right John Porter, good things do come to those who wait! I had no idea this was what that quote meant,” she said as she pinched his ribs gently.  
  
He laughed, cuddling her close and reaching down to pull the bed covers up over them as the night air began to chill their sweat dampened skin. The lay together for a long while whispering to each other about stories of the past, and hopes for the future, each marveling how fate had brought them together…or was it something else,  
  
“John, want to hear something strange?” she asked, her voice wavering a bit.  
  
“Whot luv?” he rumbled, his hands running down the length of her back, pausing to massage the base of her spine.  
  
“Mmmm, that’s nice. No, what I was saying was that the night we met in London…six months ago…do you know what night that was?” she queried.  
  
“Friday?” he joked lightly running a shiver inducing finger up her spine. She poked him in the ribs.  
  
“Very funny…really, you don’t see it? It was the summer solstice…isn’t that strange.” Just as she said this, her iPad, which was propped open on her nightstand flashed onto a picture of Stonehenge and a countdown clock. “And tonight, right now, it’s the winter solstice…it’s almost as if the cosmos intended us to be together, to find a new beginning.”   
  
“Maybe. Stranger things have happened…how do you feel?” John asked, tipping her chin up to look in her eyes.  
  
“I feel reborn…like life is beginning again, here, with you.” She whispered, a single tear slipping down her cheek.  
  
“I feel it too Lindsey, a fresh start. A chance to start a whole new life together if that is what you want.” His voice caressed her as his fingers wiped the tear from her cheek.  
  
“We can start right now…what are you doing for Christmas, Yule, Hanukkah and other assorted winter festivals John Porter?” she asked, smiling and kissing him between each holiday.  
  
“I think I will spend them here in Reading, learning more about archaeology. Now luv, about that whip….” He said as he rolled over her, tickling and kissing while they laughed exultantly at the chance for a new life they had found in each other’s arms.

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An introduction to the plot line as Porter and Lindsey get to know each other better...

The table was set and the house was filled with the rich aroma of the lasagna that was slowly baking in the oven. She was pleased with her preparations for a special dinner. It was a celebration really, an anniversary. They had been together for a year. They’d met the previous June, but they both counted tonight, the eve of the winter solstice as their actual anniversary. Everything was ready – all that was missing now was him and he would be there soon.

  
As she dressed for the evening, Lindsey Tate reflected on the past year and her relationship with John Porter. When they met in a London pub eighteen months ago, they’d both been weighed down with burdens of guilt and grief from tragedies in their pasts.  Together, they had each found in the other a source of understanding and redemption from those burdens. On the surface, it seemed that they had little in common; the retired commando, turned training instructor,  and the college professor, but the deep ties that bonded them together emotionally had made finding common ground remarkably easy.  
  
Lindsey and John both had demanding careers that they were committed to, so finding time together was an initial obstacle for them to overcome. After their first Christmas together the past year, they fell into a comfortable pattern balancing their time together with their career obligations. During the work week, they each maintained a separate household, John in London, Lindsey near Reading. They spent most weekends together though. Sometimes John came to Lindsey’s and they spent time exploring the local county of Berkshire or travelling farther afield or even better, simply cozied up together at home. Other times Lindsey joined John in London and they went to concerts or pubs, dined out or occasionally visited museums or galleries. It didn’t much matter to either of them what they did as long as they were spending time together. They gradually managed to find a balance of activities that they could both enjoy despite their differences in taste. Although John was not university educated, he was innately intelligent with a quick dry wit, and for all her advanced degrees and a career in academics, Lindsey was no intellectual snob. She was grounded and had a quiet, earthy sense of humor that often took John by surprise until he came to expect the random bits of hilarity the she regularly uttered.  
  
John’s daughter Alex had been surprisingly supportive of their fast evolving relationship. She had been rather shocked at first, coming home from a holiday trip with her grandparents to find her dad at her flat wanting to introduce her to his ‘friend’. It had been even more of a surprise to realize that the woman he introduced as Lindsey was one of her professors. It had been obvious to Alex at a glance that Lindsey was more than just a friend to her dad. At one time this might have upset her immensely, but time and experience had matured her. At twenty, Alex was no longer the angry, petulant teenager who had frequently lashed out at her father. Their relationship had grown much stronger since her mother’s death, and she wanted her father to be happy. If Lindsey made him happy, Alex was happy for them.   
  
As she got to know Lindsey better, Alex came to love her almost as an older sister. Lindsey never tried to mother her, but she was always there with a sympathetic ear for Alex’s relationship woes, and she was a great source of academic advice. Lindsey was also adept at mediating disputes between a father and daughter who clearly shared a stubborn streak. Within a month of their first meeting, Alex occasionally joined John and Lindsey on weekend excursions and could often be found at Lindsey’s house even during the week when John was working in London.  
  
All in all, they had made a life for themselves that worked for them, and they were happy. The only dim spot in that happiness for Lindsey was John’s periodic absences for training missions. It wasn’t only his being away that bothered her, although, she always missed him. It was more the fear for his safety. When she mentioned it prior to his first trip, he assured her that there was nothing to worry about, wryly pointing out that it was child’s play compared to what he had done in the past. Lindsey bit her tongue on the comment that she hadn’t been there for all of that. She worked hard to overcome her fear and not smother John with it. He had been candid with her from the beginning about what his job entailed and what it meant to him, and she had accepted it as a part of being with him. So, she always sent him off with a kiss and a smile and then worried quietly at home, sometimes enlisting the support of Alex, who had a lifetime of experience waiting at home for John to return. When he came home, Lindsey welcomed him with open arms, thanking the powers that be for bringing him back safe, and swallowing any remarks when he returned rather worse for wear.  
  
The one bright spot about these absences was the reunions. When John came home from a mission, they could barely keep their hands off of one another for days. The sexual side of their relationship had always been good, great even, but when John returned from a mission it was spectacular - intense, raw. Lindsey once compared the intensity to that of make-up sex and John had laughed, saying that he might have to pick a fight with her to test out her theory. Truthfully, in their first eleven months together, they had never truly argued. There had been a few minor spats, mostly over little things as they adjusted to each other’s routines – he left the toilet seat up, she squeezed the toothpaste in the middle of the tube, that sort of thing. Lindsey’s easy going nature and John’s ability to compromise, honed over the years of his marriage to Diane, made for easy conflict resolution. At least that had been the case until the previous month.

~~~~~~~~

  
It had been late November, and Lindsey was hosting a traditional American Thanksgiving celebration. John had taken a long weekend and Alex was there with her new boyfriend Max. Lindsey had also invited a few of the American students from the University who she had gotten to know. It was supposed to be a festive occasion, in part to share a piece of her American heritage with her new family but also to reach out to some of her students who were a long way from home, some of them for the first time. Everything had been going splendidly. Lindsey had cooked a Thanksgiving feast with all of the trimmings: turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing, several vegetable dishes, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce and of course, pumpkin pie for dessert. Everyone had eaten until they were stuffed – another American Thanksgiving tradition Lindsey joked – and John coordinated the effort to clean up, telling Lindsey to go and relax for a few minutes. After a moment of military dictatorship over who should do what, John was a genial commander as he and the students, including Alex and Max made fast work of putting away the leftovers and doing the dishes. The evening went south from there.   
  
They were all back at the dining table enjoying dessert and coffee when Lindsey said cheerfully,   
  
“I want to thank you all for coming – this is the best Thanksgiving that I’ve had in years!” There were murmurs of agreement around the table as she continued. “I have some news that might interest you, since most of you are in my Near Eastern History and Archaeology class.” She smiled and winked at John before going on, “I’ve been invited to consult on a new dig this summer, and there may be excavation spots for students from the University of Reading next season.”  
  
There was a good deal of excited chatter amongst the students before Alex finally asked, “What period is the site Lindsey?”  
  
“It’s a Greco-Roman site in Turkey,” Lindsey replied.  
  
John had been listening with idle interest up to this point. He’d known that Lindsey was interested in pursuing new fieldwork opportunities, but he hadn’t known where until that moment. At the mention of Turkey he spoke,  
  
“Where in Turkey?” came his deep rumble, a sound that made everyone at the table a bit uneasy. Everyone but Lindsey, who replied blithely,  
  
“South central, just north-east of Tarsus and Adana,” she said.  
  
“What!” John snapped explosively. “You can’t go to dig in south eastern Turkey now!”  
  
Lindsey paled and went still, her voice icy as she replied, “Excuse me? What do you mean ‘I can’t’?”  
  
The tension in the room was thick as John clenched his jaw at the tone of her voice and they stared hostilely at one another for several long minutes.  
  
“Ah Dad….Lindsey?” Alex’s strained voice broke the tense silence.  
  
“What!?” they snapped in unison, turning to look at her and noticing their dinner guests hastily gathering their coats and heading for the door.  
  
“We’re going to take off – you guys seem to need time to…um… ‘talk’,” Alex replied quietly, hugging Lindsey and saying, “Everyone said thanks for the feast Lindsey,” before turning to John and whispering, “Be nice!” in his ear as she kissed his cheek and then followed Max and the other students out the front door.  
  
Lindsey threw up her hands in irritation as she rounded on John, “Oh that’s just great! Thanks for scaring away all of my guests! What is your problem?!”  
  
“What is my problem?” John practically growled. “You casually announce that you plan to go off and play in a war zone and you need to ask what my problem is?”  
  
Lindsey’s eyes narrowed, “First of all, Turkey is _**not**_ a war zone, and second what do you mean, ‘go off and play?’ I’m not proposing a vacation, I’m going there to work. We talked about this remember,” she asked sharply, her irritation palpable.  
  
John’s frown softened slightly as he replied more calmly, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean play. I know you want to get out and do field excavation, but you can’t go to southern Turkey, not with the situation as it is with Syria.”  
  
“John, I’m not an idiot, I’ve watched the news reports,” she answered, trying to moderate her temper. “I’ve also checked with the US State Department about travel advisories and the like. Besides, I’ll be nowhere near the Syrian border.”   
  
John sighed heavily, “I know you’re not an idiot luv, but you _**are**_ being naïve about the threat. And now, with the Yanks about to install missiles…” John regretted it before the words even left his mouth. The planned NATO installation of US Patriot missiles near the Turkish-Syrian border wasn’t yet common knowledge. In an effort to deflect her he continued, “You don’t know what you’re getting into. It’s too dangerous – you can’t go.”   
  
Lindsey had begun to pick up the dessert plates from the table while he was speaking. She was about to ask him about the missiles when she heard him say those words again, “too dangerous” and “can’t go.” She abruptly set the stack of plates back on the table and turned to him, chillingly calm and replied evenly,  
  
“OK, fine. If it’s too dangerous, I won’t go, but then of course, you will agree that you won’t go on any more training missions – too dangerous.”   
  
John huffed in dismissal, “Don’t be ridiculous, it’s not the same thing at all!” Watching her spine snap straight and her eyes harden to icy green chips, he realized that he had opened a whole new avenue of conflict with that statement.  
  
“No?” she asked stiffly, “You don’t want me to work in Turkey because you are worried about my safety right?” He nodded carefully, aware that he was being led into a trap, but unable to say anything to refute her. “How do you think I feel every time you leave on a training op? I worry about your safety every minute you’re gone – I worry myself to sleep thinking about how you might be shot or stabbed by some green trainee. Every time John, every time – but I have _**never**_ asked you not to go,” she bit out.  
  
Lindsey looked at him as he began to speak, denial on his lips, “Don’t say it, don’t,” she warned, holding up a hand in front of him and then turning to pick up the dirty dishes and stalk into the kitchen with them.  
  
John winced as he heard her slam the dishes into the sink and then to continue to bang out her frustrated anger on the cabinets and drawers. He had never seen her so angry. Why couldn’t she see that he was only trying to protect her? Even the pained look on her face as she described the worry she endured on his behalf had wounded him. She had become crucial to his existence – he couldn’t stand the thought of any harm coming to her or worse yet, the thought of losing her. She hadn’t seen the things he had; she didn’t understand how fast safe could turn deadly. As he listened to her pound around the kitchen he realized that he had gone about it all wrong trying to forbid her from going. He would have to find a better way to make her understand why she shouldn’t work on this particular project. He decided it best to give it a bit of time. She was too angry at the moment to hear anything he had to say.  
  
For a big man, John could move with remarkable stealth. Lindsey started violently where she stood at the sink when she felt his hands gently come to rest on her shoulders. She closed her eyes as she heard his smooth deep voice murmur in her ear,  
  
“I’m sorry luv. I shouldn’t have tried to order you not to go. I just can’t stand the thought of anything happening to you – you mean too much to me.” He felt the stiffness begin to melt from her shoulders as he spoke. She sighed and turned to face him saying softly,  
  
“I know you only want to protect me, but you have to trust that I know what I’m doing.”  
  
“I do trust you Lindsey,” John said, wisely not including that it was the rest of the world that he was suspicious of.   
  
Lindsey slid her arms around his neck and said, “Thank you,” before she leaned up and captured his lips in a warm, voluptuous kiss. Suddenly, all of the anger she had felt the moment before transformed into passion for the man in her arms, the man she adored, the man who only wanted to love and protect her. Her hands moved to bracket his face as she looked deep into his clear blue eyes and said, “Make love to me John,” before she kissed him again, capturing his bottom lip gently, but firmly between her teeth, then soothing it with her tongue. She ran her hands slowly down his broad back to grasp his muscled behind and pull him close. She was on fire for him, and when she tipped her head back, she saw by his flaring nostrils and passion darkened eyes that he was equally inflamed.   
  
“Right here, right now,” she ordered breathily against his lips before launching another passionate assault on his mouth.  
  
John groaned deep in his chest at her command and bent to lift her onto the countertop while she worked to loosen his belt and free him from his jeans. Their mouths still locked together, tongues entwined, he pushed up her skirt, running his hands along the smooth length of her legs. She hummed with satisfaction as she managed to push his jeans and boxers past his hips, freeing him from their confining tightness. He growled into her mouth, half in lust as she stroked his aching cock and half in frustration as his hands reached the barrier of her knickers. Lindsey tore her mouth from his and urged,   
  
“Just rip them off!”  
  
John grunted in response and quickly did as she asked, easily tearing the light cotton and throwing the scraps to the floor. He groaned and thrust his hips forward as her encircling hand guided him home. They both stopped for a moment, forehead to forehead, absorbing the sensation as he surged forward into her welcoming heat. Lindsey wrapped her legs tightly around his waist and dug her heels into his back. John didn’t need any further urging as he took her hips in his hands and began to thrust hard into her again and again until they were both panting and gasping at the intense pleasure of their joining. In mere minutes, sensation started to spiral out of control, and when the clenching spasms of Lindsey’s orgasm began to pull at him, John lost any remaining restraint and he followed her over the edge in a flurry of thrusting hips that had Lindsey screaming out his name in ecstasy.  
  
For several minutes, the house was silent except for the sounds of them gulping for air. John’s head fell heavily on Lindsey’s shoulder. Her fingers sifted gently through his short dark hair as her legs slid down limply from their grip on his waist.   
  
“Well,” she panted, “I guess we have an answer to the ‘makeup sex’ question!”  
  
John shouted with laughter, “I guess we do,” he agreed nodding and kissing the tip of her nose before wrapping his powerful arms under her bottom and lifting her off the counter. He carried her upstairs, their bodies still joined, and they continued to delve into the subject of makeup sex for some time thereafter.

~~~~~~~~~

  
Putting the final touches on her makeup, Lindsey smiled at the memory of a Thanksgiving that she would never forget. A grin broke across her face as she heard the garage door open.   
  
“ _He’s here_!” she said to herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story will eventually get quite plot driven, but it took me a few chapters of character development (and smut) to get there :)


	3. Chapter 3

 

As soon as he walked into the kitchen from the garage, John was agreeably assailed with the savory aroma of whatever it was that Lindsey was cooking. He had been pleasantly surprised to find that Lindsey loved to cook, and loved it even more when she had someone to cook for. He’d increased his workouts to offset the culinary loving she regularly bestowed on him. He smiled as he saw that she’d stowed the tea kettle again. Her culinary skills did not extend to making tea – he’d given her one for her birthday as a joke, since she made no apologies for her lack of interest in the English staple. It had become a running gag between them that she hid the kettle away somewhere everytime he left. “Counter clutter” she called it.

As he walked through the kitchen to hang his coat in the hall closet, he saw no sign of Lindsey. He was heading toward the living room in search of her when a flickering light from the dining room caught his eye. John stepped into the room and saw that Lindsey had set the table with two elegant place settings, and candles cast soft, shifting light around the room. He turned slowly around at the sound of her approaching behind him and his breath caught in his throat at the sight of her.

Lindsey was a beautiful woman in jeans and a sweatshirt, but tonight she was gorgeous. His intense blue gaze slid slowly over her, taking in every detail. Her dark auburn curls were swept up loosely at the back of her head and secured with a long, sparkling pin, a few curling wisps escaping to frame her face. Subtle cosmetics enhanced her glowing green eyes and plush lips. Her tall, voluptuous body was wrapped in a black dress which clung to the lush curves of her breasts, their upper slopes framed by the plunging neckline. A tied bow marked the inward curve of Lindsey’s waist, while the clinging material accentuated her gently rounded hips. Sheer black stockings encased shapely legs that ended in stiletto heels on her feet. Basking in the warmth of John’s gaze, Lindsey slowly turned to model the rear of the dress, throwing a teasing glance over her shoulder at him. John returned her glance with a lopsided smile and then slowly licked his lips as his eyes devoured the long line of her back and the way the dress stretched across the tempting roundness of her bottom. Lindsey turned back to face him and walked into the arms that he extended to her. John had to clear his throat before he could speak,

“You look amazing luv, what’s the occasion?” he asked slyly as he lowered his head to greet her with a soft kiss.

Lindsey lightly pinched his earlobe and said tartly, “Shame on you, don’t you know what today is?”

“Friday?” he asked deadpan, before he smiled and pulled her close, kissing her again and saying, “Happy Winter Solstice sweetheart, and Happy Anniversary! 

Lindsey smiled brightly, “You remembered!”

“How could I not?” one brow quirked in question. “That solstice countdown app you installed on my phone has been going off every day for the past two weeks!”

“I thought that might get your attention,” Lindsey grinned up into his smiling blue eyes. “Subtle right?”

“Very!” he agreed, his large warm hand gliding caressingly over her hip to cup her bottom and then give her a playful pat as he turned back to look at the dining room saying, “This looks very cozy, and something smells good –what’s on the menu?” he asked 

Lindsey watched him hungrily as he walked around the room, looking at the table settings. She had planned for a leisurely dinner but now – maybe it was the reminiscence of their erotic Thanksgiving tryst – she wasn’t sure, but she was suddenly struck with an insatiable hunger for something other than food as she answered him slowly

“Salad. Lasagna.”

“Mmmm, sounds good. I’m starving!” he said, standing with his back to her as he toyed with a wineglass.

“Do you want to eat now then,” Lindsey asked, pausing as he turned to look at her, her hands untying the knot at her waist, and then unwrapping the dress, “or later?”

John watched, raptly, his reply frozen on his lips as she dropped the dress to the floor and stepped out of it, leaving her clad only in a black and red lace teddy. The shallow neckline cupped her swelling breasts and the hem ended just below the apex of her thighs, making him wonder what she might be wearing under it. His mouth went dry as his hot gaze took in the lace topped thigh high stockings on her legs before he dragged his eyes back to her face to watch a slow, sultry smile curve her mouth as he croaked, “Later,” and reached for her. Lindsey laughed seductively and asked, gesturing to the teddy,

“Do you like your present?” John nodded slowly, running a finger from her neck to her enticing cleavage. “I’m not sure,” she said, taking his hand and leading it to the hem at the top of her thighs, before she went on, “but I think it’s missing a piece. Can you check?”  She guided his hand under the hem and he groaned as he realized that nothing separated his hand from the hot, wet center of her that was weeping with desire for him. John captured her mouth with his in a passionate clash of lips, tongues and teeth while his fingers delved gently between her legs. Lindsey moaned against his lips and busily worked to unfasten his belt and wriggle her hands inside his jeans to tease his bare skin as she slid her fingers under the fitted black boxer briefs he wore to clutch at the firm cheeks of his glorious behind and pull him closer to her.

It was a movement she knew would ignite his darker impulses. Ordinarily, John was a tender, sensual lover who drove Lindsey to the brink of insanity with the attentions of his lips, tongue and hands, and she loved every minute of it, marveling at the iron control he could exert over his body. Sometimes though, she gave in to the temptation to push him past the limits of his restraint, to encourage him to unleash all of the power that he usually kept in check. She knew, without a doubt, that he would never hurt her, and it was intoxicating to feel him lose control, to take first and give second. Tonight was one of those times 

She clasped his ass tighter and sucked his tongue firmly into her mouth. She thrilled as he grunted and pushed her gently against the wall, two of his long fingers slowly sliding into her wet channel while his thumb rubbed circles around the button of her clitoris. His cock sprang free as Lindsey roughly pushed his jeans and briefs past his hips and ground her pelvis against him, hooking one leg over his hard thigh as her hands moved the rip open his shirt, the buttons bouncing across the hardwood floor. A growl came deep from John’s chest and he paused for only a moment to ask, “Are you ready?” as he slipped his fingers from her and dipped his knees slightly to position himself at her entrance.

“God yes!” she gasped. At the signal he’d been waiting for, he drove his full length into her in one hard thrust. Lindsey laced her fingers behind her to pillow her head against the wall as he continued to plunge into her in long, deep strokes. She smiled darkly at him when he reached to pluck her breasts from shallow cups of the teddy and knead them lightly, while his white teeth bit gently into the soft muscle where her neck curved into her shoulder. Lindsey moaned in response and clenched her velvet walls around his thrusting cock, inflaming him even more, inciting him to respond by increasing the speed and power of his thrusts. It was so good, this white hot frenzy of lust. She shivered as he pulled her raised leg higher, hooking it over his hip and then groaned as the new angle hit at both her sweet spot and her clit simultaneously. Lindsey pressed her hips into him and began to quiver as wave after wave of pleasure pulsed through her body. Her passion drunk eyes locked on John’s, rolling back as his hands pinned her shoulders against the wall and he surged into her with a low roar, his whole body shaking with the force of his climax.

His knees weak, John pulled Lindsey away from the wall with him as he backpedaled two steps to flop into a chair in the corner of the room. Pulling the anchoring pin from her hair, he buried his face in the fragrant auburn curls that fell to her shoulders, groaning anew as she stretched languorously against him before he rumbled, “Dammit Lindsey! Why did you do that?”

“Why did I do what baby?” she asked, batting her eyelashes and feigning innocence.

“I just banged you silly against the dining room wall for God’s sake! Why did you do that?” he growled again, shivering as she nestled into him, rubbing the tips of her breasts against his bared chest.

“Because my love,” she purred contentedly, kissing him softly, “as much as I adore your tender loving care, sometimes a girl just wants a good hard fuck!” That said, she smiled sweetly at him and climbed out of his lap. Tucking herself back into the skimpy teddy she strolled toward the kitchen, saying over her shoulder, “You stay there, I’ll fetch dinner.”

John sat there for a moment, nonplussed, before a helpless rumble of laughter erupted from him. He reached down to pull his jeans up before leaning back in the chair. Not even a minute went by before his satisfied flesh twitched in renewed lust at the mental picture running through his head of Lindsey serving him dinner in that insanely sexy teddy with the remnants of their combined pleasure slowly trickling down her long, stocking clad legs. He wasn’t sure he would survive the experience, but as she came back into the room with the salad and wine, he quickly decided that he was willing to die trying.

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

Porter woke just before dawn to the delicious feeling of Lindsey’s full, naked breasts pressed against his back as she snuggled against him in her sleep, one arm draped loosely across his chest. After dinner, they’d retired upstairs where Lindsey had laid out all of the trappings of a romantic bath. One thing led to another, as often happens with romantic baths, and an hour later they had both collapsed, naked and exhausted into bed, falling asleep spooned together. Careful not to wake her, he gently lifted her arm and rolled to face her. John loved to watch her sleep – she looked like an angel. An angel with great tits, he amended with a naughty smirk as his eyes wandered down her naked body.

John kissed her softly on the lips, his hands gently caressing her breasts, and then gliding down her torso as his lips dropped to kiss one deep pink nipple, then the other. Lindsey hummed in her sleep at the sensation. When his tongue joined the game, laving each nipple in turn, she came slowly awake, her hands threading into his hair and exerting a gentle pressure on his head. Attuned to her response, John began to nibble lightly, and then sucked the pebbled nub into his mouth. At the same time, one hand crept between her legs, fingers slipping gently between the dampening folds. Lindsey moaned, coming fully awake as one long, agile finger slid slowly into her warm, wet passage. John raised his head at the sound and slid up, smiling, to drop a soft kiss on her lips before purring in her ear, “roll to your other side luv.” John groaned softly as she complied, and then pressed her soft bottom into the rigid length of his erection.

Removing his hand from her core, he slid his cock slowly into her with gentle nudges of his hips. She sighed with pleasure and pressed her bottom more tightly to him as he made love to her in a gentle rocking motion while his fingers caressed her sensitive folds. He could feel her body tensing, tightening as she approached the peak. He stroked her clit and feeling her spasm from deep within he rumbled softly in her ear, “That’s it, come for me sweetheart.” Lindsey groaned, turning her head to kiss him and he heard her gasp as he nudged her harder with his pelvis at the same time he gently pinched her clit, pushing her over the edge into a shivering climax. He wasn’t far behind, a few deep nudges later and he spilled into her, holding her tight and groaning his release into the fragrant curve of her neck. As the passion cooled, John slipped from her body and pulled her into a tight, spooning embrace both drifting quickly back to sleep.

When he woke again bright sunlight was streaming through the skylight, and he was alone in the bed. He looked at Lindsey’s pillow and saw the note she’d left for him, smiling as he read it:

_Had some errands to run. You didn’t even move when I got up, so I didn’t want to wake you. Rest up Romeo – I have plans for you! ;) I’ll be back around 1:00, with lunch._

_Love you! Lindsey_

 

John laughed shortly – Romeo – hardly! He never should have told her about that, he thought shaking his head as he walked to the bathroom to shower.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The plot thickens...nothing NSFW in this one.

Nothing in his forty years had prepared John Porter for Lindsey Tate. When he’d met her, he’d been at a crossroads, not sure what the future held. With her, his life had jelled, things falling into place, making sense. At thirty five, Lindsey was a mature, independent woman, but she had a playful, youthful spirit that sought out a part of him that he had buried long ago. His career in the army and then the SAS had required absolute control over his emotions, and at home the responsibility of marriage and parenthood at a young age had left little time for indulging his “inner child.” With Lindsey, he didn’t have to be stoic or tough all of the time. She encouraged him to be silly and playful and he loved her for it, more than he had thought possible.

John had been in love before. He’d loved Alex’s mother, Diane, but he realized now that what had started as an intense youthful passion had gradually faded, time and circumstances taking their toll. After his “retirement” following Basra, Diane’s loss of faith in him, the fact that she had so easily believed the worst had devastated him. That he had held on for so long was a testament to his deep sense of loyalty and commitment. He would always honor Diane’s memory, she had given him Alex, but his heart and soul belonged completely to Lindsey.

He had been totally honest with Lindsey, holding nothing back, and her trust and faith in him had never wavered. She had helped him to finally come to terms with the past, and to move on. It was a gift that he had happily given back to her, and they were stronger both as individuals and as a couple because of what they’d each endured. After years of heartache and loneliness, it was amazing to feel connected to someone again.

Porter was glad that he had found her at this point in his life, at a time when life and experience had taught him something about perspective and expectations. He and Diane had been little more than teenagers when they’d married, and then Alex had been born. They’d gone into their relationship with youthful hopes and dreams and they’d both often been disappointed and disillusioned when those dreams had given way to reality. Communication had never been a strong suit between them, but things were very different with Lindsey. She and John both had emotional baggage, but they’d agreed that it was vital that all their cards were on the table from the beginning if the relationship was to work. They’d both expected it to be difficult to sync their very different lives, but had found that communication and compromise smoothed the path.

Their life together had been almost idyllic for the first year. John had been skeptical that Lindsey would be happy given how much time that they would be apart. His absences had always been a bone of contention with Diane. While she had often felt abandoned, left as a single parent when he was gone, Lindsey was as committed to her teaching and scholarship as he was to his work, so she had a completely different perspective on the distance element. She seemed to take most elements of his job, including the training missions in stride, or so he had thought until their Thanksgiving row.

Until that point, John had almost been waiting for the other shoe to drop – things had been too perfect, too easy. Nothing in his life had ever been easy. Even talking to Alex about Lindsey had been easy. He’d expected her to be upset, at least at first, but she’d been only happy for him from the start. Then, his heart had swelled as he watched the two most important people in his life grow closer and closer. Life was almost perfect. Almost.

The argument about Lindsey’s plans to join the excavation in Turkey the coming summer had taken John by surprise. To that point, he’d seen little sign of Lindsey’s temper. She had always been willing to compromise, or had simply waved off the minor disputes that they’d had. As such, he had been totally unprepared for her steely determination and absolute refusal to bend on this issue. He’d realized in seconds that he’d blundered by trying to forbid her from going, but the half dozen varied attempts he’d made since had been firmly rejected as well. Every time he tried to raise the topic, she held up one hand and said the same thing, “Training missions,” then walked way. He had to give her credit for tenacity, and he was also forced to admit, at least to himself, that she had a point. As Alex had illustrated, “Double standard much Dad?” He didn’t have the best position to argue from, and her determination to go was more than clear. Unless he wanted to risk losing her over it, he would have to back off and deal with the reality that she would be in Turkey in July.

In hindsight, he really should have expected it. Lindsey was a passionate woman – he had ample evidence of that. That same passion was bound to manifest itself in other areas. John was wise enough to recognize that he couldn’t have one without the other, and truthfully, he wouldn’t want to. He may have come to the realization that he couldn’t talk her out of going, but that didn’t mean he still couldn’t find some way to keep her safe.

Showered and dressed in jeans and a long sleeved tee, John padded barefoot down the stairs to make some breakfast, after he’d located the tea kettle, in the broom closet, behind the mop. He was finishing his meal when the tone for an incoming text chimed on his mobile. He fished the phone from the front pocket of his jeans and saw that the text was from Lindsey. Inside, there was a selfie of a beaming Lindsey with the caption, “I love my anniversary gift!” Around her neck was the necklace he’d given her at dinner last evening. Hanging from a gleaming silver chain, it was a circular silver pendant with a crescent moon set with moonstone on one half and an amber sun on the other, symbolic of the solstices which were such significant dates in their relationship. A single tear had rolled down Lindsey’s cheek as he’d fastened the chain around her neck and softly kissed her nape rumbling, “Happy Anniversary luv.” She had turned and kissed his hand, tears shining in her green eyes as she silently thanked the stars for bringing this man into her life, then thanked him, “It’s beautiful John, thank you.” Porter had never thought of himself as particularly romantic, but when he’d seen the necklace in a Seven Dials shop window on one of their London jaunts, he’d covertly asked the clerk to hold it for him and then gone back to purchase it after Lindsey returned to Reading.

He typed back, “Looks great on you! See you around one.” He smiled when her reply of a kissing smiley popped up on his screen before he stuck the phone back into his pocket. Carrying a fresh cup of tea, John rummaged through his bag in the hall closet and pulled out a black iPad mini tablet then continued down the hall to the living room. Sitting on the corner of the sofa was Lindsey’s massive gray cat, Sherman. Sherman and John had gotten off to a rocky start, but in the past year, they’d come to terms. As long as Lindsey was not in the house, Sherman was perfectly cordial, but John had learned to put ample space between them when she came in, since Sherman was apt to show his loyalty to Lindsey by sinking his claws into John.

Setting his mug on the side table, John gently nudged the cat saying, “Budge over mate,” and sat down. Sherman pawed around a bit before curling up against John’s leg and watching him curiously. Porter powered up the iPad and touched an icon that resembled a push pin on a map. A map of the Reading area was displayed on the screen with a blinking blue light hovering over a location near the university. John nodded and said to himself, “Looks like she’s at Morrison’s.” He looked over at Sherman’s questioning, “Meow?” and scratched his furry ears replying, “Don’t ‘meow’ me. If she’s determined to go, I can at least know where she is if something goes wrong.” Losing interest in the discussion, Sherman butted his head into John’s hand demanding further scratching as John continued, “I don’t want to be sneaky, but there’s no way she’d go for it.”

Unbeknownst to Lindsey, the pendant he’d given her was equipped with a tiny GPS chip. It was similar to the type found in cellular phones, but this one was a prototype that one of the Section 20 tech wunderkind was developing. The main difference was that this chip was powered by solar and thermal energy – from the sun and from Lindsey’s own body heat - so it needed no battery to operate. It was virtually undetectable on the pendant, hidden behind the beautifully fissured piece of amber which let ample light through and allowed the chip to sit next to the warmth of Lindsey’s skin. John had agreed to give the tech instruction in weapons basics in exchange for the use of the chip and a copy of the software application that tracked its movement. The arrangement would give John peace of mind while Lindsey was in Turkey and the chip developer a chance to gather data on the chip’s range and power efficiency.

Such a plan had never entered John’s mind when he’d purchased the pendant for her last summer, but now it seemed like the perfect solution. He hated the idea of deceiving Lindsey, but he needed to do at least this much to try to protect her. He looked at his watch – 10:30. He set the iPad on the table and picked up a note tablet. He would keep an eye on the tracker to be sure it was functioning while Lindsey moved about on her errands. If it could draw enough power in the cold and rather weak sunlight of the English winter, it would be fine in the Turkish summer. Once he knew it worked, the data it collected would be automatically stored. If all went as planned in Turkey, he’d never even need to look at it, and Lindsey would never need to know it had been there at all. John told himself over and over that the tracker was just an insurance policy. He had no intention of keeping tabs on her every move either here, or while she was abroad, he simply needed to know that he was doing something to keep her safe. He only hoped Lindsey would see it that way if she ever found out about it.

For the next two hours John tinkered about the house working on what Lindsey called her “honey-do list.” Since she had discovered that he was fairly handy about the house, she’d found any number of projects that wanted doing. Until he had met her temper and stubborn side, it was the only thing about Lindsey that Porter found less than adorable. He didn’t mind really. In the grand scheme of things, changing a few light bulbs and snaking a drain now and then seemed a small thing next to all the happiness he had found with her. It actually felt good to do mundane things around the house, to be part of a family again.

Returning occasionally to check on the tracker, he had changed out the faucet in the guest bath, “unstuck” the back door, and assembled a new “house” for Sherman before returning to the living room and settling on the sofa to watch a bit of a hockey game on the television, with Sherman curled up on his lap, purring loudly. At a break in the action John glanced at his watch – 12:45. He picked up the iPad and verified that everything appeared to be working properly, as it had been all day. At the moment, Lindsey appeared to be at the local pub, probably picking up lunch. Porter powered down the tablet and moved Sherman from his lap to the sofa. The cat slanted a glare at him. “Sorry mate,” John said smiling. “Lindsey will be home soon, and you are not getting me again!” He stood and walked to the closet to stow the iPad and then went to the garage to change the bulb on the door opener.

John was just putting away the ladder when Lindsey pulled into the garage ten minutes later. He came around the car and opened the door for her, and she handed him a paper bag as she got out and then pulled on his collar to bring his lips to hers for a noisy, smacking kiss.

“Hello Romeo! You fixed the garage light – remind me to thank you later,” Lindsey said as she smiled coyly and patted his backside then turned and bent back into the car to retrieve some other packages from the opposite side.

“No worries there luv, I have a very good memory,” John replied with an appreciative glance at the prospect Lindsey’s bent position offered. He wondered if he would ever tire of that sight – he rather doubted that he would. “Did you get all of your errands done?” He asked as they walked into the kitchen and set their packages down

“I think so,” Lindsey answered taking utensils out of a drawer. “I picked up the dry cleaning, checked on Alex’s apartment, and stocked up on groceries – we can bring those in after lunch. We shouldn’t need to leave the house until after Christmas – what will we do to pass the time?” she asked raising an innocent brow and sliding her arms around John’s neck as he pulled her close.

“Hmm,” he purred into her ear, “I’m sure we can think of something,” and kissed her lightly on the lips.

“Don’t start that,” Lindsey smiled giving him a peck and a wink “you know you hate cold food – that’s why I left the lasagna in the oven last night.”

John laughed, “I sense a set up – not that I’m complaining mind you! Let’s eat!”

Thirty minutes later, they had cleaned up the remains of lunch and were putting away groceries when John asked,

“Lindsey…?”

“Hmmm?” she answered, her voice muffled as she leaned into the refrigerator.

“Do you have any plans for your break between the spring and summer terms?” John asked casually. Lindsey straightened and turned to look at him questioningly.

“Not really, why?”

“Well,” John drawled, pulling her loosely into his arms. “How would you like to go on holiday with me?”

“Mmm, that idea has possibilities, keep talking,” she said with a grin.

“How does two weeks in Majorca sound?” he asked. “Sun, sand, mountains, paella, sangria…”

Lindsey leaned against him and sighed, “That sounds heavenly, can you get away?”

“Already started the wheels rolling. If you’re in, I’ll set everything up,” John replied gently massaging her back. “Where would you rather stay…beach or mountains?”

“Decisions, decisions…can I think about it a little while?” Lindsey asked, arching her back into his magical hands.

“Of course sweetheart, I don’t need to make any final arrangements until after the holidays anyway,” John replied, relishing the way her arched back pressed her lush breasts against his chest and mentally shaking a finger at himself for thinking like a teenager whenever she was within 100 feet of him. Lindsey hummed her agreement with the plan and nestled closer, enjoying the simple pleasure of his embrace. John decided that he’d rather not spoil the moment by telling her that he’d been able to get the two weeks in April off because he’d be spending the three weeks prior on a jungle training mission in Borneo. No, that news could definitely wait until after the holidays he thought.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> a New Years celebration - back to NSFW for this chapter

Christmas came and went without much fanfare, in part because Alex was again on holiday with her grandparents. John and Lindsey spent the holiday quietly at Lindsey’s house curled together in front of the fireplace in the glow of the Christmas tree. John’s work was on hiatus until after the New Year, so he planned to stay the week with Lindsey and then celebrate New Year’s Day with her and Alex. Alex invited them to come out New Year’s Eve with her and Max, but Lindsey declined, saying that it would be awkward given her position at the University. John breathed a sigh of relief. He appreciated Alex’s invitation since he remembered a time when she hadn’t wanted to be in the same room with him, but he didn’t think he was up to watching his daughter carouse with her boyfriend. He had a hard enough time some days remembering that she wasn’t a little girl named Lexie anymore. Besides, he would much rather spend the evening alone with Lindsey than crammed elbow to elbow at a party or a pub.  
  
As it happened, Lindsey had made reservations months ago for them to dine out at a beautiful local restaurant. They enjoyed a decadent five course meal with carefully selected wine pairings. Ordinarily, they lived pretty simply, not because they had to, but because it suited them. Between their respective salaries and other assets, neither of them needed to worry much about finances. Together they could afford to do most anything they chose, but most of the time they preferred burgers to caviar and beer to champagne. However, as Lindsey pointed out, for a special occasion, it would be silly to ignore a Michelin starred restaurant practically in their backyard.   
  
It was shortly before nine when they returned home. The restaurant was so close, and the weather so mild that they had walked. When they came into the house, John took off his coat, helped Lindsey with hers, and then hung them both in the closet. He was reaching to loosen his tie when he felt her arms slide around his middle and her cheek press against his shoulder with a sigh.  
  
“Have I told you how great you look tonight? I mean, you always look great, but you in that suit….,” she made a purring sound in the back of her throat.  
  
John smiled and took her hand, pulling her around in front of him to look at her, his deep, chocolate voice sliding pleasantly over her,  
  
“Thanks luv. You look amazing tonight too – I should really take you out more often, but then I couldn’t do this,” he replied bending his head to seize her lips in a scorching kiss while his hands glided down her back to cup the firm globes of her bottom through the thin silk layers of her emerald green cocktail dress.  
  
Lindsey smiled a catlike smile as he ended the kiss with a soft nuzzle, “There are definitely perks to staying in,” she agreed with a soft laugh. Disengaging from him, she kicked out of her heels, and turned to present him with her back,  
  
“Would you undo me please? As much as I like to dress up for you, I’m going to change into something more comfortable,” she said.  
  
John quickly unfastened the clasp at her neck and pulled the zipper down to where she could easily reach it. He pressed a moist kiss between her shoulder blades, his stubbled chin raising gooseflesh on her arms as he purred,   
  
“Anymore lingerie surprises?”  
  
Lindsey’s full lips curved into an apologetic smile as she answered, “Not tonight I’m afraid. Just regular old me.”  
  
John ran a tingle inducing fingertip lightly down her bare arm and rumbled, “I like the lingerie, but ‘just regular old you’ is my favorite.” He squeezed her arm and gave her a nudge, “Off you go then.”  
  
As soon as she was up the stairs and out of sight, John moved into action in the living room. He pushed the coffee table to one wall and pulled a furry white rug and several soft, oversized cushions out from where he’d stashed them behind the sofa, arranging them in front of the fireplace. He hung his jacket and tie in the closet on the way to the kitchen where he retrieved a bottle of champagne and an ice bucket from the garage before heading back to the living room to turn on the gas fireplace and the Christmas tree lights.  
  
When Lindsey walked into the living room a few minutes later, she stopped short at the scene in front of her. In the soft light of only the Christmas tree and the fireplace, John was sitting on a white fur rug, lounging back against a plush red cushion barefoot, with his dress shirt unbuttoned to his waist. As she stared, the opening notes of Marvin Gaye’s _Let’s Get it On_ began to play from an unseen speaker and a slow, salacious smile curved John’s beautiful mouth. Lindsey smiled, then she grinned, then she chuckled saying slowly,   
  
“John….Holmes I presume?” Giggling at his brow wiggling leer, she joined him on the rug and asked still laughing, “What’s all this?”  
  
John handed her a glass of sparkling champagne and positioned her in the vee of his thighs, pressing a kiss to the curve of her neck before replying in a low murmur,  
  
“Just a little New Year’s surprise,” blowing softly in her ear.  
  
Lindsey shivered in response and replied huskily, “I like it – very retro!” She leaned back against his hard chest with a contented sigh as they lounged together sipping champagne and watching the fire. After some time, John began to gently massage Lindsey’s shoulders and neck, his strong hands working out all the kinks and tension until she was humming with pleasure.  
  
“Mmm, you know how much I love that. You must have something to tell me,” she said absently, her head hanging forward, relaxed.  
  
“Why do you say that?” he asked suspiciously, wondering how she could possibly know anything.  
  
She glanced back at him with a knowing smile, “You always give the best shoulder massages when you have something ‘bad’ to tell me…training mission?”  
  
John nodded with a resigned sigh, his hands resuming their soothing motion as he replied quietly,  
  
“Three weeks in Borneo during March. I know how you feel about these things but…”  
  
Lindsey cut him off, “It’s OK, really.” John felt a twinge of guilt as she went on. “I can hardly make a big deal out of this when you’ve put your feelings aside about Turkey.” She looked back at him again, misreading the guilty look she saw, “Is this what the trip to Majorca is about? You don’t have to take me on a vacation to make up for Borneo – I’ve accepted that this is a part of our life. I don’t like it, but I accept it.”   
  
John exhaled deeply, laying his forehead against her nape before turning her in his arms so he could look into her eyes as he answered her, “It was part of it I suppose, but I really want to take you someplace special Lindsey. I love you, and I thought that since I’ll be away, and then you’ll be away, in between we could really use some time together, just the two of us.”  
  
Lindsey leaned forward, cupping his cheek as she kissed him softly and said, “Honey, you don’t have to convince me! I was sold at ‘Majorca.’ I just want to make sure that you know that it’s not necessary…I’m plenty happy lying in front of the fire with you rubbing my back…,” she nudged him gently in the ribs with her elbow.   
  
John chuckled warmly as she moved to lie on her stomach, her chin propped on a cushion and said to her, “I don’t deserve you.”  
  
Lindsey snorted softly, “Maybe not, but you’re not getting rid of me, so start rubbing Limey!”  
  
John swatted her lightly on the rear, moving to straddle her thighs and replied, “Happy to Yank, but I’ll have better luck if you take off your top.” As he spoke, he was running his hands up her back under the spaghetti strap camisole top of her pajamas, pushing it to her shoulders as they went. Lindsey angled her body up so he could pull it over her head saying with mild accusation,   
  
“You’re just trying to get my clothes off aren’t you?”  
  
“Probably so…are you complaining?” he retorted as his hands began to work into the muscles of her back.  
  
Lindsey just grunted softly and dropped her head back onto the pillow, surrendering herself to the relaxing movements of his warm, callused hands. As the minutes went by with John massaging her back, Lindsey was lulled almost to sleep, until his hands began to slyly creep under the waistband of her soft flannel bottoms, kneading the round globes of her behind before running a teasing finger along the cleft between them. She didn’t realize he’d taken off his shirt until she felt the warmth of his skin and tickle of his chest hair against her back as he leaned against her and purred in her ear,  
  
“You fibbed luv, these are new pajamas – although I can feel that it’s ‘just regular old you’ underneath.”  
  
Lindsey groaned softly and lifted her hips as his teasing finger continued down until it found the dampening folds of her core, but lingered only a moment. Leaving a trail of wet kisses in his wake, John slid down her back, pulling off her bottoms as he moved down her legs and then reaching to turn her over onto her back. His chest rumbled at the tableau before him: Lindsey, her ivory curves naked to his gaze, skin pink in spots from the warmth of the rug, her breasts imprinted from its nap. His mouth went dry as he gazed at the neatly trimmed auburn curls of her mound. He hardly knew where the start.  _When in doubt, start at the top_ he thought as he took her mouth in a blistering kiss, their tongues mating in a familiar dance before he pulled away to kiss and nuzzle her neck, hands playing softly, then more firmly with her breasts. He sat back as his wandering mouth reached her full breasts, dark rose nipples hardened to firm peaks.  
  
“God Lindsey,” he groaned, “I love your tits!” He leaned down to press his face into the warm scented valley between them, his tongue flicking out to lick the humid underside of each globe before cupping them in his hands and holding first one, and then the other to his mouth.  
  
Lindsey moaned as he began to suck at her nipples, alternating sharp teasing nips with soothing strokes of his tongue. Her hands moved restlessly over his shoulders and through his hair, urging him for more. While his mouth continued to caress her breasts, his hands had strayed lower, cupping her mound before his fingers slipped between her glistening folds to tease and torment, his thumb gently circling the firm pearl of her clit while first one, then two fingers eased inside her snug channel. He rumbled softly at the wet clenching welcome he always found there. It was irresistible and his cock twitched and hardened in response, pressing uncomfortably against the front of his trousers.  
  
Lindsey arched her hips off the rug and groaned as he began to move his fingers slowly in and out of her while his thumb continued to circle her clit. She gasped and clenched tightly around his thrusting fingers as he curled them up to nudge at her sweet spot. He raised his head from her breast to look at her face. She was beautiful, erotic, with her eyes closed and her head thrashing back and forth. When he curled his fingers again, she moaned and bit her lip, straining against the pleasure.  
  
“You like that baby?” he growled. Lindsey arched her hips high against his tormenting hand and whimpered in response, “Yes! Please John, I need you.” Intent on her pleasure and fighting against the urges of his own body, he kissed his way down her abdomen to breathe against her heated flesh. Gently pushing her legs apart with his knees, he lay on his stomach and buried his mouth hungrily into her folds, his free hand separating them while the fingers of his other hand continued thrusting. Lindsey groaned again, clamping her thighs against his shoulders when he hummed appreciatively and began to lick and gnaw lightly at her pearl before sucking it firmly into his mouth. He could feel how close she was as her channel began to ripple rhythmically around his fingers. She was so wet now, so ready, that he easily added a third finger. Thrusting and curling his fingers inside her, he sucked hard on her clit and growled softly against her as he felt her body stiffen and begin to quiver as her climax claimed her, her walls spasming tightly around his fingers as she sighed deeply.   
  
John slipped his fingers from her body and softly caressed her as he watched her slowly come down. Gradually, she opened her eyes and looked at him, almost dazed before she smiled slowly as he kicked of his trousers and boxers and slid up to lay next to her, tamping back the raging arousal that pressed against her hip. He jerked against her sharply as her hand closed around his iron hard cock, pumping it slowly and rubbing the bead of moisture leaking out gently around the head with her thumb. John groaned and fought to stop himself from thrusting into her hand before she finally turned her head to whisper in his ear,  
  
“I can’t ever decide what I like better, your tender selfless side, or your cave man side.” She nipped at his earlobe and kissed the tantalizing spot under his jaw that never failed to make him shiver. Lindsey squeaked in shock when John grunted and with one powerful arm around her middle flipped her onto her stomach. Pressing tightly against her back, he pulled her hips up from the rug and slid a large pillow under her.  
  
“What are you doing?” she asked breathily, more surprised than alarmed.  
  
He grunted again, positioning himself at her opening then holding her hips in place with both hands as his throbbing cock plunged into her in one deliciously hard thrust. Seated firmly inside her, he growled low in her ear,  
  
“Giving you more data for comparison Professor,” as he began to move inside her in a deep driving rhythm, pulling out almost completely before plunging back in. Lindsey laid her cheek against the pillow and groaned with pleasure, pushing her hips back into each thrust. John could feel himself beginning to lose control and was starting to pull back when he heard Lindsey’s husky voice urging thickly,  
  
“Don’t stop! Fuck me harder, you know you want to!”   
  
A dam broke inside him. He reached an arm under her hips to pull her tight to him as he rose up on his knees, pounding again and again into her welcoming flesh before coming in a hot flood, a gravelly groan ripping from his chest. Lindsey shrieked with pleasure and convulsed around him when she felt the warmth of his release inside her. They collapsed, rolling to their backs and panting side by side on the rug, neither of them able to summon speech. After several minutes, John finally managed a short,  
  
“Well?”  
  
“Ungh…me like both,” Lindsey grunted caveman style. “Need more data. Ungh!”  
  
John shook his head at her and chuckled as he stood slowly and reached down to pull Lindsey to her feet and into his arms. He placed a soft, melting kiss on her lips and said,  
  
“Insatiable! You will be the death of me yet, but at least I’ll die a happy man!”  
  
Lindsey grinned and then squealed and wriggled as he abruptly bent, placing one arm behind her thighs, and threw her over his shoulder. He stilled her half-hearted struggles with a light smack to her bare bottom. She resigned herself easily to enjoying the view of his flexing cheeks as he carried her upstairs and flung her onto the bed to continue “data collection” he said.  
  
  
The next morning, Lindsey and John were awake and out of bed well before most New Year’s Eve revelers, having drifted off to sleep shortly after ringing in the New Year with a goodnight kiss. Alex and Max were joining them for a late lunch of prime rib, roasted baby potatoes and glazed carrots. John had gone out for a run when Lindsey made her way to the kitchen around 10:00 to begin cooking. When he came back in an hour later, John heard Lindsey’s voice coming from the kitchen. Peeking in on her, he saw that she was standing at the sink peeling carrots and singing along to whatever was playing from her headphones – Adele he thought, but Lindsey almost always sang the wrong words, so he couldn’t be sure. John smiled and, without disturbing her, ambled quietly upstairs to shower and change. He’d learned by experience that she’d only shoo him out of the kitchen anyway.  
  
Ninety minutes later, Alex sat at the kitchen counter sipping a Bloody Mary watching Lindsey put the finishing touches on the tiramisu she was making for dessert. After she slid the pan in the refrigerator to set, Lindsey took the stool next to Alex at the counter and took a drink from her own cocktail.   
  
“Sounds like they might be having some problems in there,” Alex said with a smile as they both heard the sound of muffled masculine voices coming from down the hall in the living room. Lindsey had mentioned to John earlier in the week that she’d love to watch the Tournament of Roses Parade. John and Max were busy trying to connect Lindsey’s laptop to the large flat screen television in the living room so that they could project the live video stream of the parade from the computer to the television after lunch.   
  
Lindsey laughed shortly and replied, “That’s OK, they’ll figure it out eventually. It keeps them busy and out of the kitchen in any event.”  
  
“As long as they’re occupied, there’s something I wanted to talk to you about,” Alex said, hesitating until she saw Lindsey nod encouragingly. “I’ve been awarded a summer research scholarship…”  
  
“Alex! That’s terrific!” Lindsey exclaimed reaching out to press the younger woman’s hand. “Those scholarships are very competitive – do you have an idea of what placement you’d like?”  
  
“Well, yes,” Alex replied slowly. “I was really hoping you’d consider taking me to Turkey with you…I’ve talked to the department and the scholarship committee and your project would meet the required guidelines.”  
  
Lindsey look surprised for a moment, “Really? I knew you had a passing interest but…you’d like to excavate? I’d love to be able to show you more about fieldwork, and Pete Thompson, the director, is one of the best in the field right now, but…” Lindsey trailed off as the obvious obstacle occurred to her.  
  
“But what?” Alex asked, and then nodded as it dawned on her too. “Oh right, Dad. He’s not going to like this is he?”  
  
“Probably not,” Lindsey agreed. “He does have some valid concerns you know,” she continued reasonably.  
  
“I suppose so,” Alex allowed, “but he doesn’t have a lot of room to argue does he? You know better than I do the state he was in when he got home from training in September. And all those times when I was a kid…when we didn’t know if he was alive or dead,” her voice cracked and she paused.  
  
Lindsey reached over to squeeze her elbow soothingly and said, “I know Alex. It must have been really hard on you and your mom, but you know that things have changed a lot. Just give him a chance, he might surprise you.”  
  
“Maybe. I don’t know….will you tell him?” Alex asked hopefully?  
  
Both women started as John’s deep voice spoke from the doorway.  
  
John had heard them talking as he made his way from the living room to tell Lindsey that he and Max needed to run into Reading to buy a longer audio cable. He hadn’t intended to eavesdrop until he heard the pain in Alex’s voice as she described her childhood. He’d always known that his work was difficult on the ones he loved, but he was only now realizing exactly how difficult, especially as he heard his little girl’s voice crack with emotion. Not wanting to trespass any longer, or overhear anymore he stepped into the doorway and asked,  
  
“Tell who, what girls?” he asked. John wasn’t encouraged by the rather guilty glance that passed between Lindsey and Alex before Alex, at Lindsey’s encouraging nudge, haltingly began to speak:  
  
“Dad, I….ah…Well, I’ve won a summer research scholarship…” she started  
  
Moving to give her a warm hug, John broke in, “That’s great sweetheart! What are you researching?” he asked.  
  
“Well see, that’s the thing. I’ve talked with all the officials and they all agree that it’s a great opportunity if I... gotoTurkeywithLindsey,” she blurted out in a rush, bracing herself for the explosion.   
  
It never came. The only thing that betrayed John’s reservations with the plan was a momentary tightening of his jaw that released as he smiled and replied with a soft sigh,  
  
“Well, if the university approves, and Lindsey is OK with it, who am I to argue?”  
  
Although John had certainly not expected Alex’s announcement, it made sense in light of the conversation he’d overheard. The very last thing on earth that he wanted was the two people he loved most in the world to be in danger, but after all he’d put her through as a child, he reckoned he owed it to Alex to take this one on the chin. Besides, the comical, open mouthed looks of shock on both Alex and Lindsey’s faces almost made up for the worrying he’d be doing.  
  
John kissed Alex on the cheek and said cheerfully, “Alright then, Max and I have to go into Reading for a sound cable. Roast beast still on for 2:00 luv?” he asked, as he bent to peck Lindsey on the lips. She nodded absently, still trying to process his unexpectedly calm response. John hid a grin behind his hand as he turned for the door.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Life with Porter....

After the holiday season, life resumed as usual. John returned to work in London during the week and the spring term was underway for Lindsey. She had to admit, she’d been shocked by John’s calm reaction to Alex’s intention to travel to Turkey. Lindsey had fully expected him to resist the idea initially, but as she had assured Alex, she was confident that he would come around. She had never considered the possibility that he would give his blessing immediately. Alex had been enormously relieved, but Lindsey was increasingly suspicious. Finally, while spending a late January weekend with John in London, she had confronted him with it while they were having dinner at a local Indian restaurant,  
  
“Alright, out with it! There is no way that you are this ‘OK’ with Alex coming to Turkey. What is up?” she asked.  
  
A flash of guilt crossed his handsome face before the corner of his mouth crooked and he replied, “I’d been wondering when you’d get around to interrogating me.”  
  
“Well you shared your ‘concerns’ easily enough with me. I wouldn’t expect you to be any happier about your only child putting herself in the same situation,” Lindsey reasoned.  
  
John nodded, taking her hand and toying with her fingers, “You’re right, I’m not happy about it, not at all, but I heard you two talking,” he said. Seeing the mild confusion in her eyes he continued, “On New Year’s Day. I heard you talking.”  
  
“Oh,” Lindsey breathed. “You heard her…” John broke in  
  
“Yeah, I heard her tell you about all the times I wasn’t there. Times when she thought I was dead. Then I heard her cry. What kind of hypocrite would I be if I ripped into her about this…into you either?”   
  
Lindsey took his hand and held it to her heart, “I love you, and so does Alex. Everything will be fine,” she soothed.  
  
John nodded, thinking as he reached a finger out to stroke the necklace that she rarely removed now. “I know luv. I’ll find some way to deal with it,” he assured her with a slight smile.  
  
January gave way to February and the Saturday before John was scheduled to leave for the Borneo trip he and Lindsey treated Alex to dinner for her 21st birthday. It was just the three of them since Max had gone home to North Umbria for a school reunion. They had a lovely dinner and then went back to Lindsey’s house for dessert. Alex had just blown out the candles on her birthday cake when John slid a small, foil wrapped box across the table to her.   
  
“Happy Birthday sweetheart,” he said with a warm smile.  
  
“Dad, what’s this?” Alex asked, a bit surprised at the gift. “You’ve already been so great helping me with the car.”  
  
“It’s just a little something special for you. Go ahead, open it,” John replied.  
  
Alex tore off the wrapping and opened the box with a gasp. Tears welled in her blue eyes as she lifted out a clear crystal locket which held a picture of her mother holding her as a baby. John folded her into a warm hug when she jumped up and rushed around the table to him saying emotionally,   
  
“I love it Dad! It’s beautiful, thank you so much!” She kissed his cheek and went to show the necklace to Lindsey who had be watching them, a wistful smile on her face as she remembered her own parents and wondered at the gentle sentimental side within the rugged exterior of this man she loved.  
  
An hour later, as they stood in the doorway watching Alex get into her new car, Lindsey slid her arm around John’s lean waist and laid her head against his shoulder sighing, “You know, you’re getting pretty good at this ‘perfect gift’ thing for a crusty old soldier.” He only huffed quietly at her and kissed her forehead with a small, enigmatic smile. The next day, when Alex and Lindsey went for birthday pedicures, John watched twin points of light, one blue and one red shadow each other across the screen of his mini tablet. He wasn’t proud, but he would have to deal with that too.  
  
Porter returned to London on Monday to pack his gear and then fly out with the training unit for Borneo on Tuesday. Over the next three weeks, Lindsey spoke to him a few times by phone, and had emails every few days, but this limited communication was expected since he’d warned her that access from the jungle would be sporadic. When they had last spoken on Monday he’d told her that he’d be home, as scheduled, on Thursday evening. They’d arranged to meet at John’s London flat. Lindsey had gotten a late start leaving Reading, so she was surprised that he hadn’t beaten her to the flat when she let herself in shortly after 10:00 PM. She wasn’t overly concerned though – it was a very long flight, and he’d been delayed before. When she had finally fallen into a fitful sleep around 2AM she’d begun to worry.   
  
Waking at 8AM, still with no word, she called his mobile, ringing off as it went straight to voicemail. She waited anxiously until around noon when she called Section 20 with a result that was little better. Since she was not listed as John’s “next of kin” the clerk was unable to release any information to her. When she asked to speak to Layla, she was informed that Captain Thompson was “out of the office” until the following afternoon. By 5pm on Friday, Lindsey was struggling to control her impending panic. She wanted to talk to Alex, but hadn’t been able to reach her either. Lindsey really didn’t want to worry her unnecessarily, so she waited and worried, unable to concentrate on anything for more than a few minutes at time before she rose to pace around.   
  
Over the next 24 hours, she ate little and slept less. Finally, at 3pm on Saturday, unable to stare at the walls of the flat any longer, she grabbed her phone and some cash and walked to the corner market. Not surprisingly, John’s cupboards were more or less bare, so it seemed like a logical errand to occupy her mind. She wandered around the market tossing a variety of items into a basket. Satisfied, she paid the clerk and walked, almost blindly, back to John’s flat. She’d just slid her key into the door when her phone rang – Layla - thank God! Before she could answer it, the door swung open and there stood John, his right arm in a sling, his faced bruised and swollen with fresh stitches over his right eye.  
  
Lindsey dropped the groceries and her phone and threw herself into his outstretched left arm crying,   
  
“Thank God John! What happened to you? Are you alright?!”  
  
Porter pulled her close to his chest for a moment, then backed up and bent his head to brush a soft kiss against her lips replying hoarsely, “Yeah luv, I’m fine,” before he turned her into the flat with a gentle nudge, leaning to pick up her things and then close the door.  
  
Lindsey followed him into the kitchen, noting how carefully he moved, and watched him start to unpack the bag of groceries. She frowned slightly,  
  
“Well? Are you going to tell me, or do I have to guess? What happened?”  
  
John turned at her annoyed tone, shaking his head slightly then grimacing before he said, “Oh, right…well, I had an accident,” gesturing to his battered face.  
  
Lindsey snorted, “I can see that much!” Noticing how he swayed slightly, she slipped an arm around his waist and said more gently, “Let’s sit down and you can give me all the details,” as she guided him to the sofa.  
  
John sighed as he sank into the cushions of the leather sofa, relishing Lindsey’s warmth nestled against his left side. He closed his eyes and said briefly, “I was bitten by a spider.”  
  
Lindsey waited for him to elaborate. When he didn’t she asked wryly, “A spider bite caused all this?” She couldn’t understand why he was being so cryptic about the details of his injuries.  
  
“Not exactly. The doctors said I had an allergic reaction to the spider bite which caused me to lose consciousness,” he said succinctly.  
  
“And?” Lindsey prompted, irritation beginning to outweigh concern now.  
  
“AND, I happened to pass out in the latrine AND smack my face on the loo AND dislocate my shoulder on the way down,” he rumbled indignantly.  
  
Feeling her shaking against him, he pulled her closer. He thought that she was crying until he heard a ripple of the laughter that she was fighting to suppress slip out.  
  
He pinched her arm lightly and growled, “It’s not funny. I might have died if someone hadn’t found me and taken me to the field hospital” He glared at her as she squeaked on another giggle and went on testily, “I’ve been beat up, shot, and tortured but I almost died in a jungle toilet from a bloody bug bite!”  
  
Lindsey had made a valiant effort to control her mirth, but at the cantankerous look on his face, and his grumbling disgruntled voice, she burst into peals of laughter as she dropped to the floor and began to untie his boots gasping, “Well, technically, a spider is not ‘a bug!’” When he only grunted at her, she looked up, merriment shining in her green eyes and chided gently, “C’mon, it’s a little funny,” as she pulled off one boot and tickled the bottom of his foot lightly.  
  
He conceded her point with the lopsided smile she loved so much and shrugged, “Maybe I’m getting too old for this shit.”   
  
Lindsey didn’t say a word. She didn't need to. The speaking glance she shot him as she pulled off his other boot said it all.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Majorca

The following day, John had stormed into Section 20 headquarters livid since he’d learned from Lindsey that she hadn’t been notified about why he’d been delayed. When he arrived, he’d found that Layla already had the situation in hand.

“I’m sorry Porter,” she said. “There was some oversight with the paperwork you submitted before you left. I personally made sure that Lindsey is listed as your domestic partner. This won’t happen again – you have my word.”

His anger diffused somewhat, Layla had sent him away happy when she’d also informed him that since his medical leave would very nearly run into his scheduled holiday leave, he wasn’t expected back at work until he returned from Majorca in five weeks’ time. With no reason to stay in London alone, John returned with Lindsey to Reading on Monday afternoon and spent the next three weeks recuperating. It was the longest consecutive amount of time they had ever spent together, and all in all, it had been great.

Lindsey had been a little concerned that John would be stir crazy with so much idle time, but he seemed to relish the opportunity to establish a “normal” daily routine. After a few days of rest, he began to work on rehabbing his injured shoulder and resumed his normal fitness regime as much as his injury would allow. They spent time together working on small projects around the house and yard, or doing things that they normally did only on weekends. The only downside she’d found was that she was running out of places to hide the tea kettle from him. Domesticity suited John. Lindsey thought back fondly to the day she’d come home to find him elbow deep in cake batter as he tried out a new hobby.

That had been two weeks ago. They’d been in Majorca a week now, and it was incredible so far. She had to hand it to John, he’d found a perfect place to for them in a luxury five star resort on the south east coast of the island. It had all the amenities of a large hotel, but their secluded villa accommodations offered the benefit of idyllic privacy, right down to a private patio complete with their own heated swimming pool and Jacuzzi. Apart from the daily butler service, they might have been staying in a private residence, which suited them perfectly. John’s injuries had somewhat curtailed their usually vigorous post-mission activities, but they’d been making up for lost time since they arrived in Majorca.

Lindsey loved the privacy of the villa since they didn’t need to worry about neighbors as they “christened” virtually every indoor and outdoor space. Their first week on the island had been a perfect blend romantic alone time and touristy sightseeing. They’d been all over the island in their rented convertible. The weather was lovely, mild but not hot. It was perfect for exploring the cliffs and lighthouses as well as castles and cathedrals. Late afternoons found them back at their villa for “siesta,” some of which was actually spent napping before they went out to enjoy fabulous dinners of local specialties at restaurants all over the island.

Last evening, when John had proposed they go for a hike the next day, Lindsey had readily agreed. He had good naturedly followed her through all of the sites that she wanted to visit, and she was eager to see more of the natural beauty of the island on a hike. Just before noon the next day, at two hours into the “hike” Lindsey was no longer quite as enthusiastic when she called out to John, who was several yards ahead of her,

“Can we stop for a minute? I need to adjust my back pack.” When he came closer she grumbled, “When you said a ‘hike’, I didn’t know you meant the Majorca Death March!”

He smiled at her and reached out to take her pack, “Here luv, let me take it. The place I wanted to show you is just ahead. Can you go a bit further?” he asked handing her a bottle of water.

She took a sip. “I guess so. Have you been up here before?” Lindsey asked as they continued along the wooded path. Looking ahead, she could see a clearing a few dozen yards in the distance.

“Yep,” John answered cheerfully. “Yesterday morning while you were at the spa, I ran up to check it out.”

Lindsey stopped dead in her tracks and burst out, “You RAN up here? While I was at the spa? It’s taken us two hours to get this far and you ran up here and back while I was at the spa?” she repeated.

He laughed at her incredulous look, “Well, I was going along a bit faster, and you were at the spa for three hours,” he replied with a grin as they walked along the path.

Lindsey was active, but sometimes she forgot the level of physical training and endurance that John maintained. Even here on holiday, he rose early every day to go for a run on the beach and then used the resort gym to continue rehabbing his shoulder. She followed along next to him shaking her head in mild disbelief at what he’d achieved while she was getting a massage and a Mani Pedi!

It was just before noon when they walked out of the cover of the trees onto a sheltered ridge that had sweeping views of the sea in two directions. Lindsey gasped at the beauty of the vista as she looked down from the heights across the green plain to the azure water in the distance.

“It’s gorgeous, just gorgeous!” she breathed.

“I thought we might stop and have lunch and a little siesta up here,” John rumbled in her ear as he pulled her back against his chest while they enjoyed the view together.

“Hmmm, that sounds wonderful – you brought supplies I gather,” she asked, leaning her head back against his shoulder with a contented sigh.

“I did, but we’ll need to start a fire to warm some of it. Seems like a perfect time to test your new survival skills eh?” he asked, nudging her.

Lindsey turned to face him and took in the sly smile and challenging gleam in his eyes. “I should have known you had an ulterior motive,” she groused. “Are you sure it’s legal for us to have a fire here? Isn’t this a nature preserve?”

“The nature preserve is just to the west of us. This land belongs to the family of our butler Carlos. He’s the one who told me about this place. A campfire is fine luv,” John assured her.

“You are always thinking aren’t you? Alright, fine. I’ll go find some firewood and start a fire as instructed,” Lindsey replied, only a bit grudgingly.

While John had been recuperating in Reading with her, they’d talked more about her trip and she had agreed to let him teach her some basic survival skills just in case. It was a refresher course really. Lindsey had grown up in the Ohio River Valley in western Pennsylvania, and her father had been an avid outdoorsman. As his only child, she’d spent her fair share of time in the great outdoors on camping and hunting trips. It had never been her favorite activity, but she’d loved the time with her dad. Once she was teenager and especially after she left for college, such trips became rare, but Lindsey realized that she remembered a great deal of what her father had taught her as John reintroduced things to her. As she walked back toward the trees she asked over her shoulder,

“So, when does Alex do her field test?”

“I’ve been teaching Alex these things for years, so she’s pretty well set up. Besides, I put Max in charge of making sure. No sense in my being in the dog house with both of you right?” he asked with a semi-apologetic shrug.

Lindsey shook her head and laughed as she disappeared into the trees. Lindsey passed the test with flying colors when she quickly started a fire without the aid of matches.

An hour later, they had eaten lunch and were relaxing in the warm spring sunshine on a light throw blanket that John had pulled from his pack. It was sublime, Lindsey thought listening to the birds as she drifted off to sleep. When she woke she was surprised, but not alarmed that John was nowhere in sight. She looked at her watch…2:30. She assumed he was somewhere close stretching his legs or answering the “call of nature.” She had purposely monitored her own water intake to avoid doing the same if at all possible. She’d rather not test that skill today if she didn’t need to. Lindsey stood and stretched, walking to the edge of the ridge and enjoying the view for a few minutes while she waited for John to return. After ten minutes, she started to wonder where he’d gone. Taking a closer look around their “camp” she noticed for the first time that he’d put out the fire and that his pack was gone.

"Why did he…?” she wondered aloud, breaking off as she spied her own pack propped against a tree with a note attached:

_You did a great job building the fire._

_Field test #2: find your way back home._

_See you soon, John_

Lindsey read the note three times, not fully believing what was right in front of her, before she finally said to herself, “He didn’t…he wouldn’t…”

She opened her pack to find a compass, a map and a bottle of water that had not been there before. More importantly, her cell phone and her wallet, which had been there, were gone. “Unbelievable! That sneaky bastard!” she fumed as she stuffed the map and the water back into her pack and the compass into the pocket of her cargo pants. Zipping the pack, she bent and pulled out a 50€ note and the business card of the resort from a hidden pocket in her sock, waving them triumphantly to the trees and saying,

“Ha! I won’t have to walk the whole way back big boy!”

Lindsey started off at a brisk pace down the path they had ascended to reach the ridge. She knew that the resort was on the south east corner of the island, so she periodically checked the compass to make sure that the path she was following out of the woods was heading in a southeasterly direction. Righteous anger and a downward slope made the return trip much faster.

It was 3:45 when Lindsey emerged onto the main road and began following it to the south. About two kilometers down the road she came to a small town where she found a pay phone across the street from a open air café. Perfect. Miraculously, John hadn’t cleaned the change from her pockets, so she phoned the resort and asked them to arrange for a cab to pick her up, giving them the name of the café for a pick up point. The desk clerk told her that it would be at least thirty minutes before the cab would arrive, so she walked across the street to the café and ordered a drink, attempting to calm down so that she didn’t murder John on sight.

When she arrived back at the villa around 4:30 Lindsey entered silently and found her prey napping peacefully on a lounge chair at the edge of the pool. He looked beautiful. His fair skin had taken on a golden glow from time spent in the warm Mediterranean sun. Lindsey itched with the desire to slide her fingers over all that sun warmed skin, or even better, to follow the bead of perspiration that ran down his chest with her tongue. She shook herself, recalling that this same golden god had just abandoned her to her own devices in the wilderness to prove a point.  She crept silently to the lounge chair and with a single rapid movement and a grunt of exertion, flipped all 6’2” of its gorgeous contents into the pool.

Lindsey waited, arms crossed over her chest while he emerged sputtering and wiping his face. She was shocked speechless at his audacity when he looked at his watch approvingly and said,

“You made good time luv. I wasn’t expecting you for at least another hour.”

Lindsey glared at him as he climbed from the pool, finally regaining her voice, “Well apparently, I’m not quite as helpless as you seem to think I am then! What the hell John?! What if I didn’t come back? Where you planning to leave me out there all night to see how I did? Was that part of your little plan too?” she said, gaining volume with each sentence. He was toweling himself off while she spoke, or rather shouted at him.

“Of course not. If you didn’t make it back by seven, I’d have come to fetch you. How’d you get back so fast anyway?” he asked with casual interest. “We were fifteen kilometers from here at the base of the woods.”

“I called a cab from the nearest town – you owe me 50€,” Lindsey snapped and then asked accusingly, “What if I’d gotten lost in the woods? What then? How were you planning to come and ‘fetch me’ then?”

“You were never going to get lost luv. I stuck a GPS tracker in your pack,” John explained patiently.

“You stuck a GPS tracker in my pack,” Lindsey repeated, nodding. “Oh, well in that case it’s no big deal.” she agreed…right before she shoved him back into the pool and stormed inside, slamming the patio door behind her.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More Majorca...
> 
> NSFW

If John thought that Lindsey had been angry after their first quarrel, it was nothing compared to the cold fury she treated him to that evening. She hadn’t spoken a word to him all evening except to answer direct questions in icy monosyllables. By contrast, she was warm and engaging with anyone else who spoke to her, even laughingly practicing her Spanish with the waiter and bus boy, but going silent when they left the table. Upon their return to the villa, she had gone straight to the bedroom and silently closed the door. John sighed as he went to turn off the pool lights.

  
He had fully expected her to be furious with him for leaving her to find her way back. It was a dirty trick, but she’d proven herself quite ably, and he was ridiculously proud that she had. Truthfully, he’d rather enjoyed her fiery rage after she’d dumped in him the pool the first time. He’d half expected the spat to end the way their Thanksgiving one had, but on the pool deck rather than Lindsey’s kitchen counter. Her frigid silence was another matter completely. John wasn’t entirely sure how to approach her. When he turned the knob to enter the bedroom, he found it locked. Fair enough, he thought as he went into the spare bedroom for the night. Sleep eluded him for a long while as he wondered how to fix this rift. He was increasingly apprehensive about her reaction to the necklace if she found out. Not enough to remove the tracker though. It was highly unlikely that she would accidently find it, and something in his gut told him that its presence was worth any argument they might have.  
  
Lindsey slept very little, but she woke immediately when she heard John moving about at 7:15. She threw back the covers when she heard the door close behind him as he left for his daily run. Lindsey stopped at the locked bedroom door, remembering why they had slept apart in the same house for the first time. She felt childish. She had every right to be angry with him, but she couldn’t believe she had locked him out. She determined that they would talk this out when he got back – which would be at precisely 9:15. You could take the man out of the military, but it was a lot harder to take the military out of the man, so Lindsey had become accustomed to the precision of John’s schedule. She went into the kitchen to make some coffee.  
  
When John came back into the villa twenty minutes later with a broken shoelace he entered quietly, not wanting to wake Lindsey if she was still asleep. He was pleasantly surprised to see her standing at the kitchen sink rinsing out some dishes. She was dressed in a skimpy cotton nightie that barely covered her rounded bottom. Distracted by the sight, John didn’t notice the ear buds in her ears or that she hadn’t noted his presence when he glided up behind her and slipped his arms around her waist. The next thing he knew he was doubled over and seeing stars as her right arm whipped back and connected solidly near his groin.  
  
Not expecting John back for over an hour, Lindsey stood at the sink listening to music and washing the mugs before she went to dress for a quick yoga class at the spa. When she felt hard arms wrap around her middle she reacted on instinct – intruder! Her rapid shot to the groin followed by an elbow to the chin then another to the gut made her assailant groan and drop his arms as he stumbled backwards away from her. Free from restraint, Lindsey turned to face her attacker head on and then exclaimed,  
  
“Oh my God John!” as she rushed over to where he had landed, sitting on a kitchen chair.  
  
Still catching his breath he growled, “Jesus Christ Lindsey!”  
  
“I’m so sorry,” she replied. “I didn’t know it was you….you never come back this early. I thought someone broke in.” Lindsey explained, using the dishtowel on her shoulder to wipe a trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth.  
  
“Bloody hell, what the fuck was that?” he grunted, slanting a steely look at her.  
  
She shrugged and offered lamely, “self-defense class?”  
  
“Self-defense class?!” he barked. “For fuck’s sake Lindsey, I’m a trained SAS veteran and you just dropped me like a toddler. What was that?!” he repeated impatiently.  
  
She sighed and replied, “ _Krav Maga_  – Israeli combat defense. I have…well I had a G4 brown belt, but I haven’t trained in a while.”  
  
He snorted and said wryly, “Well apparently you haven’t forgotten much. I know what  _Krav Maga_  is…how did I not know that you are practically a lethal weapon?”  
  
Lindsey shrugged again, “I don’t know. I don’t train anymore, so it never came up I guess.” Glancing at him, she saw him looking at her expectantly, obviously not satisfied with her reply, so she continued, “When I decided to go to grad school in the ‘big city’ my dad insisted that I do some self defense training. I found  _Krav Maga_ ….I liked it and I was kind of good at it, so I kept advancing. I lost interest after the accident though…”she trailed off.  
  
John shook his head, trying to reconcile his pretty, brainy lover with the powerful combatant who'd just floored him. “‘Kind of good at it?’ If you were any better at it I’d be spitting some teeth,” he admitted ruefully.  
  
“I keep trying to tell you that I’m not helpless,” Lindsey argued.  
  
“Point taken,” John grumbled lightly, rubbing his flat belly and groaning, “That bloody well hurt you know.”  
  
“Oh, poor baby, “ Lindsey soothed, stroking a finger along his jaw where she’d hit him. He only grunted. Smiling sympathetically, Lindsey persisted, kissing away a small spot of blood that had welled again at the corner of his mouth.  
  
“Is that better?” she asked, biting her lip on a grin at the adorably petulant little boy look on his face as he shrugged and rumbled,  
  
“A little.”  
  
“Ooooh, do you want me to kiss your owies better baby?” Lindsey crooned as she coasted her hands along his broad, shirtless chest, dropping her mouth to kiss the right shoulder he’d injured in Borneo when he dipped his head in a tiny nod.  
  
“Does it hurt here?” she asked, her lips moving silkily against his flesh as she spoke.   
  
“Uh-uh,” John shook his head slightly, torn between laughing at her babying and groaning as he felt the warm wet sweep of her tongue on his skin before she nuzzled her way along his collar bone, pausing to nip gently at his Adam’s apple before continuing across to the old scar from Basra on his left shoulder. The tip of her tongue ran along its curved length before she asked,  
  
“How about here sweetheart?” Gooseflesh raised along his arm as she blew against his wetted skin.   
  
“Not so much there either…” John answered, trailing off as she dropped her head lower, nuzzling her nose into the patch of hair at the center of his chest before kissing one and then the other of his pert nipples and then slipping down to the gunshot scar from Zimbabwe on his side.  
  
“How about now?” she questioned, swirling her tongue around it, and then sucking it lightly.  
  
“Nope, lower,” he murmured, groaning softly when she dropped to her knees between his spread thighs and nuzzled and kissed across his taut abdomen before licking and sucking around his navel.  
  
“That’s feeling much better now luv, but it’s really starting to throb a bit lower still,” he purred.  
  
Lindsey looked up and naughty grin curved her lips at the expression of absolute innocence on his face that was belied by the lascivious sparkle in his blue eyes.   
  
“Oh my…really? Let’s get these off so I can take a closer look,” she replied. He lifted his bum off the chair allowing her to slide down the 2 in 1 Nike running shorts he was wearing. His hot, erect flesh sprang free as he kicked off the shorts and his trainers at the same time, leaving him naked to her heated gaze.  
  
Taking his hard shaft in one hand and squeezing it gently Lindsey nodded,  
  
“I see what you mean – it’s quite swollen isn’t it? Should I kiss it better do you think?” she asked, not waiting for his reply before she kissed her way down and back up the hardened length and then slid her tongue around the head. She smiled against his heated skin, licking away a drop of fluid as a growl ripped from his chest and he gasped,  
  
“God yes luv! Right there, please!” His head fell back against the chair as she took him into her mouth sliding up and down his length, her tongue flickering out against him repeatedly before she drew back and sucked firmly on just the head. John groaned with the effort not to thrust into her hot sucking mouth as she slid wetly back down his length, taking in as much as she could while her hand wrapped around the rest of him, pumping firmly. He wouldn’t last much longer at this rate, so he dropped his hands to her shoulders and groaned,  
  
“That’s enough luv.” Lindsey raised her head to look at him,  
  
“Are you sure? It still feels pretty swollen to me,” she argued her hand still pumping up and down.  
  
A laughing growl came from John as he gently grasped her arms. “Come here you,” he said, hauling her up and guiding her legs so that she was straddling him on the chair. He groaned again as he realized that she wasn’t wearing any panties. His hips twitched forward when her wet heat slid against his cock.   
  
Lindsey planted her feet on the floor and levered herself up to guide him to her opening and then sank down, enveloping him in her throbbing channel. She lifted her arms as John’s hands pushed the nightie up and over her head, moaning as he kneaded her breasts, alternating his sucking kisses between each rigid nipple. In this position, Lindsey was in control. She set a steady rhythm, moving up and down on his rigid shaft, grinding against him when she realized that once she found just the right angle, he was hitting her clit on each downward stroke. Her breasts thrust forward into his suckling mouth as she arched her head back. When she increased her pace, the constant stimulation on her breasts and her clit pushed her quickly toward climax.  
  
John loved to watch her let go, abandoning herself to pleasure as her body exploded around him. He had been ready to come since her first stroke, so as soon as heard her cry out and felt the clenching spasms of her channel on his cock, he held her hips in place and surged up into her with two hard thrusts before he growled his own release against her breast.  
  
John shivered as Lindsey turned her head where it lay against his shoulder and breathed into his ear,  
  
“I’m impressed. I didn’t think you’d be able to do that so soon after I hit you in the groin!”  
  
He laughed shortly smiling into her eyes when she raised her head,  
  
“Your aim was off a bit - you hit me on the inner thigh, but it was close enough to back me away,” he said. Stroking a hand down her sweat dampened back he chuckled deeply, “If you’d hit me that hard in the balls, I’d probably been wrecked for the rest of the trip!”  
  
Lindsey winced, “I’m really sorry about that – near miss or not!”  
  
John shook his head, “No luv, don’t be sorry. I’m actually glad to know you can protect yourself – although, don’t think you’ll get the drop on _me_  again,” he warned with a light kiss, then groaned as his softened shaft slipped from her body when she shifted back to sit on his knees and said more soberly,  
  
“I’m sorry I locked you out last night too, it was childish, but I’m still mad at you!”  
  
“About the tracker?” he asked cautiously.  
  
“The tracker? Why? No, I’m mad that you left me in the woods with no warning. The tracker was the best idea you had yesterday you big dope,” she replied gently kissing his jaw where it was beginning to swell a bit.  
  
“I wanted to see what you’d do if you had to fend for yourself unexpectedly and you did great!” he explained.  
  
“Even though I cheated and took a cab?” she questioned, a bit confused.  
  
John shook is head. “No, exactly  _because_  you cheated and took a cab,” he said. “Survival is more about using your head than it is about simple endurance – I should have known you’d be fine – brains you’ve got plenty of!”   
  
Lindsey was somewhat mollified and strangely, even a bit proud that he’d acknowledged this. She smiled slyly when he asked,  
  
“How’d you pay the cab anyway? I took your wallet and you didn’t have more than a couple of euro change in your pockets.”  
  
She tapped her temple as she climbed off his lap and said, “Ancient Chinese Secret….or …Hidden Pocket in Hiking Sock.”  
  
“Like I said, plenty of brains,” John replied as she bent to pick up their clothes. He took his shorts when she straightened and handed them to him. Lindsey was surprised when he stood, plucking her nightie from her hand and tossing it to the chair with his shorts.  
  
“Aren’t you going to finish your workout?” she asked with a mild frown.  
  
“Nope, I’ve had enough for today. I thought we might go sailing instead – there’s a rental place just up the beach. Fancy a dip in the Jacuzzi first, or are you still too mad at me?  
  
Lindsey wrapped her arms around his waist in a quick hug and said with a grin, “I said I was mad  _at you_ , not just plain  _mad_!”  
  
John chuckled warmly when she smacked his bum and then watched appreciatively as she started off toward the patio door with a sassy wriggle of her naked bottom. A hand on the door she chirped, “Last one in is a rotten egg,” before she pelted outside, shrieking when she saw him vault over the sofa after her.

 

 


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> iPad's come in handy...

Lindsey was relaxing, reading a book on a comfy reclining double lounge chair on her Shinfield patio, when a large shadow moved across her vision.  
  
“I’ve finished building the flower boxes ma’am, is there anything else I can do for you?” the shadow asked in a deep, velvety voice.  
  
Lindsey looked up to find John, dressed in grubby, ripped jeans and a faded green tee shirt, a hammer hanging from the leather tool belt slung low around his lean hips. He was running a hand through his already rumpled dark hair. A shaft of desire coursed through her as she wondered if he had any idea of how irresistible he was, her sexy handyman. Sitting up, Lindsey tossed her book aside and grabbed the handle of the hammer to tug him closer to her, nuzzling her face into the thin green tee shirt that covered his taut belly. Nipping him lightly she said,  
  
“As a matter of fact, I think there is.”  
  
Dark laughter rumbled from his chest before he answered, “That kind of work will cost you extra ma’am.”  
  
“Oh I don’t know,” Lindsey murmured, running her hands up the inside of his thighs, just grazing over the growing bulge in his jeans before reaching to unbuckle the tool belt. “I thought maybe we could work out some kind of trade,” she said, dropping the tool belt alongside the lounge chair.   
  
“Hmmm,” John purred sinking down next to her on the lounge. “Something like ‘a tit for a tat’?” he questioned leeringly as his large hands cupped her breasts, thumbs circling around her hardening nipples, while his lips and tongue teased the sensitive spot just behind her ear.  
  
Lindsey moaned, “Yessss, something like tha….”  
  
She woke with a start as she heard Alex call her name. Lindsey looked at Alex, disoriented for a minute until she realized that she must have fallen asleep. Shaking off the lust filled haze of her dream, she asked,  
  
“Is something wrong Alex?”  
  
“Not with me,” Alex replied, “but you were moaning and thrashing around…”  
  
Lindsey flushed. “Was I? I must have dozed off.” She sat up quickly, maybe too quickly, as a wave of lightheaded nausea hit her suddenly. She was struggling to contain it as she heard Alex say,  
  
“We’re all heading over to the beach bar for some  _Efes_ , do you want to come?”  
  
The thought of beer did nothing to quell Lindsey’s sudden attack of malaise as she swallowed heavily and shook her head replying,  
  
“You go ahead. I’ve had more than enough sun for today. I think I’ll go back to the hotel.”  
  
Alex answered easily, “OK, I’ll call you later about dinner then.”  
  
“Perfect. Have fun!” Lindsey smiled and waved as a bikini clad Alex moved off to rejoin the group of students and staff who had decided to spend their last weekend break at Karataş, the beach town nearest to the dig site.  
  
With her fair skin, beach time was necessarily limited, but a bit of R&R way from the close quarters of excavation housing was a welcome treat after four weeks in the field, Lindsey thought as she gathered her things and made her way back across the beach to the hotel. Alex and a number of other students had elected to room together in the hotel, but Lindsey was delighted to have a room to herself. As much as she was enjoying the dig, catching up with colleagues and working on newly excavated material, she had forgotten the intense “togetherness” of dig housing. Even the senior staff like Lindsey shared sleeping quarters and bathrooms. Sustained privacy was a rare commodity, so Lindsey was relishing it this weekend.  
  
She sighed with comfort as she entered the cool darkness of her room and slid the key card into the slot on the wall activating the lights and the air conditioning. Dropping her beach gear on a chair, she went into the bathroom to take a shower – a long, long shower - since no one else was behind her waiting to do the same. Lindsey felt much better after her shower - the nausea and lightheadedness had disappeared. She should have known better than to fall asleep on the beach – that dream had almost made it worthwhile though.  
  
The thought of her arousing dream reminded her of the very best part of having a room to herself – total privacy to call John. She had spoken to him every few days over the past four weeks she’d been in Turkey, but the only places with WIFI to use FACETIME were decidedly public areas. Judging by the turn of her dream, she was seriously missing alone time with her man. It was 4:30pm when she powered up her iPad and connected to the in room WIFI – good timing since at 2:30pm in London, she was likely to catch John at home on a Saturday. Naked under her forest green sarong, Lindsey sipped on a bottle of water from the mini bar and made herself comfortable on the bed while her iPad attempted to link with John’s.  
  
As the computers connected, John’s face popped up on Lindsey’s screen and her tummy did a little flip when one corner of his mouth curved up and his deep velvety voice purred,  
  
“Hi luv, how are you?”  
  
Even after two years, his voice alone still had the power to liquefy her. Lindsey smiled ruefully and said,  
  
“I’m fine, but I miss you. This time next week I’ll be on my way home.”  
  
John smiled wider and nodded, “I know…I’m down to counting days now!”  
  
They talked for some time about various things, catching each other up on happenings in London and Turkey.  
  
As Lindsey moved a bit further from the camera John asked, “Where’s your necklace luv? I hardly recognize you without it anymore.”  
  
Lindsey raised a hand to her throat and said, “Oh. I forgot to put it back on after I showered.” John heard a bit of rustling as she moved out of the frame from a minute. When she returned, the amber and moonstone pendant was resting against her chest above the knotted sarong.  
  
“Where are you?” he asked. “It doesn’t look like the café you usually call from.”  
  
Lindsey smiled and shook her head, “It’s not, it’s a hotel.” She slowly panned the camera around the room for him. “We’re at the beach for the weekend.”  
  
“I thought you looked a little pink. Did you get too much sun?” he asked, his low rumble sending a shiver through her.  
  
“A bit. I fell asleep on the beach,” she answered.  
  
John clucked at her, “You should be more careful in the sun sweetheart – do you have your own room? I only saw one bed.”  
  
Lindsey blinked at the abrupt change of topic and then smiled slowly, “Yeah, I desperately needed some privacy. Why do you ask?”  
  
“Well, since you’re alone, you can show me how bad your sunburn is,” he said slyly. “So I don’t worry.”  
  
“That’s true, I wouldn’t want you to worry.” Lindsey replied slowly. “Especially since it’s your fault that I slept too long in the sun and got burned, see….” she explained, moving aside the top of the sarong to show him the line from her bathing suit.  
  
“It doesn’t look too bad, but I can’t really see…maybe you could move your dress more?” John suggested with a wicked smile and then asked, “What do you mean it’s my fault?”  
  
Propping the iPad up in its case she responded, “It’s your fault I slept so long because I was dreaming that you were doing this,” Lindsey untied the sarong, letting it fall from her body as she cupped her naked breasts, running her thumbs over her dark pink nipples until they hardened into points. She smiled seductively at him as he swallowed hard and then groaned when she pushed her breasts together towards the camera and pouted, “and see what happened, I’m all sunburned, and you’re not here to rub lotion on me.”  
  
John cleared his throat and murmured,  
  
“We’ll just have to improvise then I suppose. Do you have some lotion?”  
  
Lindsey nodded, reaching behind the camera to take a bottle of after sun lotion from the bedside table. John smiled slowly and rumbled,  
  
“Good. Now lay down on the bed….that’s perfect luv.” He felt his cock harden as he looked at Lindsey, her body displayed on the screen from her face to her knees. He shifted in his seat, adjusting himself before saying softly,  
  
“Now close your eyes and do what I tell you. Imagine it’s my hands touching you.”

  
Lindsey moaned softly at the tingle of anticipation his low voiced words sent through her, but looked at him questioningly,   
  
“Are we really going to do this?”  
  
John’s dark chuckle sent a shaft of desire straight to her core which intensified when he purred slowly,  
  
“Oh, I think we are. Now lay back and close your eyes while “I” rub lotion on you.”   
  
Lindsey reclined against the pillows, squirting some lotion into her hands as John’s smooth, deep voice slid seductively over her,  
  
“Mmmm, that smells nice. Start with your sunburn luv…gentle – smooth the lotion over your skin. Does that feel better?” he asked as Lindsey’s hands slid lotion across the tops of her breasts.  
  
She sighed, “Yes, it feels wonderfully cool.” John moaned quietly and unfastened his jeans when her hands continued lower, massaging and kneading her full breasts, stopping to tweak and pull at her nipples as she sighed,   
  
“I love it when you play with my nipples – it makes me so wet!”  
  
John growled softly, “I love it too baby…your tits are amazing! Imagine my mouth there now, sucking and tonguing you – can you feel it?”  
  
He kicked off his jeans and underwear and began palming himself slowly as Lindsey’s low moan of pleasure washed over him and he watched her right hand slide down her body while the left continued pulling at one nipple, then the other.  
  
“Are you wet for me luv?” John asked, his mouth going dry as Lindsey’s hand slid between her legs, her fingers moving slowly up and down the folds of her flesh, lingering in lazy circles on her clitoris before slipping back down to plunge into her warm channel.  
  
“God yes John! I’m so wet right now…so ready for you!”  
  
“Fuck Lindsey,” he groaned, pumping himself harder, faster. “You are so hot! Use your fingers and imagine it’s my cock moving inside you.”  
  
Lindsey moaned, arching her hips up into her fingers, first two, then three as she followed John’s velvet instructions and imagined his hard shaft moving in and out of her clenching flesh again and again.  
  
“Oh, oh…that feels so good! Can you feel me squeezing all around your cock baby?” she whispered. Her thumb stretched up to rub harder and harder circles around her pulsing clit until she cried out,  
  
“Oh God John – I’m so close!”  
  
“That’s it, let go” he rumbled. “Come for me Lindsey,” he growled, his hand working furiously up and down his shaft while he watch and listened to Lindsey pleasuring herself. Her body arched and she gasped sharply, shaking with her release, and a moment later as his own orgasm shook him, his seed spilling out over his hand, John groaned long and low shuddering, “Lindsey…”  
  
Her senses slowly returning, Lindsey opened her eyes and turned to the screen to look at him with a bashful smile, “THAT was amazing! Your voice should have a warning label man!” She paused then asked, “Did you…”  
  
“I did,” he purred with a slow sexy smile. “You have no idea how sexy you are to watch. We are definitely doing this again in person luv!”  
  
Lindsey blushed lightly then said with a sultry smile, “I don’t know if I could keep my hands off you if you’re in arms reach, but I’m willing to try if you are.”   
  
John laughed, “I think it’s worth the risk.”  
  
He watched as she wrapped the bed sheet loosely around herself before he asked,  
  
“So what’s your schedule for the last week of excavation?”  
  
Lindsey took a sip of water and replied, “The dig wraps on Thursday. Alex and I are going to visit another excavation run by a friend of mine from the States for a couple of days before heading back to Adana to catch our flight home on Saturday.”  
  
“Sounds good. I’ll pick you both up at Heathrow on Saturday evening then. Are you sad that your season’s almost over?” John asked.  
  
“Yes and no,” Lindsey said with a soft smile. “I’ve had a great time, made some good connections, but I’m ready to come home. I miss you – miss our life.”  
  
John nodded with his lopsided smile, “I miss you too luv. I’ll be glad when you and Alex are home.” Safe and sound he added to himself. The political climate had been intermittently dicey in Turkey and neighboring Syria, and he wasn’t keen to push luck where Lindsey and Alex were concerned.  
  
When Lindsey yawned widely, John’s eyebrow quirked and he said,   
  
“Big plans for tonight? Looks like you might need a nap first.”  
  
“Maybe…that’s your fault too you know.” Lindsey quipped. “Nothing major, just dinner with Alex and the rest of the group that came to the beach.” She yawned again. “Between the sun and you, I think a nap might be in order, unless I want to fall asleep on my plate.”  
  
John grinned and said, “Go to sleep luv. I’ll be around the house all evening if you want to talk or something later.”  
  
Lindsey snuggled under the sheet and reached for the iPad saying sleepily, “I might hold you to that ‘or something.’”  
  
“I can only hope so,” came his laughing reply. “Talk to you soon,” he said before he disconnected the call.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> and finally....some plot!

On Thursday morning, the last of the dig materials were being packed for storage and people were preparing to depart when Alex and Lindsey said their goodbyes and climbed into their rental car to begin their road trip. They were visiting a Neolithic cave site on the coast just west of Antakya where a friend of Lindsey’s was working.   
  
When they stopped in Tarsus to refuel the car and stock up and snacks and drinks for the road, they also found a café with WIFI to check in with John. After Alex had talked with him briefly, she moved to another table to call her own boyfriend, and to give Lindsey and John some privacy. When she came back fifteen minutes later, she couldn’t help but overhear Lindsey telling John that they probably wouldn’t call until they reached the airport in Adana on Saturday since the site they were visiting was rather remote. Out of sight of the camera, Alex shot Lindsey a questioning glance, but remained silent as she heard her dad say,  
  
“OK luv, I’ll talk to you then, and I’ll plan meet you at Heathrow the day after tomorrow. Say goodbye to Alex for me.”  
  
Alex moved into view of the camera saying, “I’m right here Dad – can you bring Max with you to the airport? His car is with the mechanic again.”  
  
“Sure Alex, I’ll ring him to set it up,” John replied. Looking from Lindsey to Alex and back Lindsey, noting that they were both wearing their GPS enabled pendants, he smiled, relieved, and continued, “I can’t wait to see you both. Have fun, but be careful OK? Especially in the cities - things are pretty iffy there right now.”  
  
Lindsey smiled softly and said, “We will, I promise. I love you.”  
  
“I love you too,” Porter smiled back, looking at Lindsey for a long moment before his eyes moved to Alex and he said, “Both of you. I’ll see you Saturday….Bye”  
  
“Bye,” Alex and Lindsey replied in unison as Lindsey ended the FACETIME session.  
  
“I thought we were going to a site somewhere west of Antakya,” Alex said, perplexed. “That’s not very remote is it?”  
Lindsey was packing her iPad back into her day pack as she answered, “We are, and it isn’t, but it is a little closer to the Syrian border than your dad is probably comfortable with.”  
  
Alex thought for a minute, sipping her coffee before she replied, “Are you comfortable that it’s safe?”  
  
“I am,” Lindsey nodded. “I’ve talked to the director several times since we’ve been here and I’ve been watching all the US State Department updates. I wouldn’t take you there if I didn’t think that it was safe.”  
  
“That’s good enough for me,” Alex replied before adding wryly, “Besides, we both know that my dad is SLIGHTLY over protective.  
  
************  
  
After talking to John, Lindsey and Alex ate second breakfast at the café and then packed their supplies in the car and got underway. Forty-five minutes later, on the highway approaching Adana, Alex, who was navigating while Lindsey drove burst out,  
  
“Damn! I’m sorry Lindsey, I think we just took the wrong exit. We’re going north of Adana instead of south.”  
  
“It’s OK,” Lindsey assured her. “Well just loop around the city and take the ‘scenic route’ on the local roads. We’re not in a hurry – they’re not expecting us until late this afternoon anyway.”  
  
Coming around the north side of the city, Lindsey exited the highway and began driving east along a two lane local road. As long as they continued east, and then south, they’d eventually run back into the main road that ran south along the coast into the Hatay province where the cave site was located. Lindsey had studied maps of the area and she had a good sense of direction, especially when aided by the in car compass... GPS directions had proven to be a bit of a  _faux ami_  when driving in the Turkish countryside, so they were sticking to an old fashioned road map.   
  
Within 15 minutes they drove past the north edge of Incirlik Airbase, a huge Turkish military installation and home to the main allied US military presence in the region. They continued driving east for the next hour along local roads through fertile agricultural fields and olive groves, occasionally passing a village. As they approached the larger city of Ceyhan, Alex looked up from the map and said,  
  
“It looks like if we keep going along this road, we’ll be able to connect with the main road south to Iskenderun. The interchange is about 15km from here.”  
  
Lindsey nodded, “Perfect. Once we pick that road up we’ll be around the bay and down the coast in no time.”  
  
What had seemed simple proposition thirty minutes before was proving to be an exercise in futility. They had found the highway without incident, but accessing it was another story. They had driven several kilometers in each direction and had been unable to find an entrance ramp that would put them on the highway in the direction they needed to go. Lindsey was beyond frustrated at this point. Turning onto a small local road that cut through an olive grove to double back yet again, she saw a van parked on the side of the road and two men doing survey work.  
  
“Finally, a sign of life!” Lindsey exclaimed. “We can ask those guys how to get on the damn freeway from here.” As she pulled over and parked about 20M behind their van, she realized that this wasn’t an ordinary survey crew. In addition to total station surveying equipment she also saw the shovels, buckets and wire screens that identified them as archaeological surveyors.  
  
“What are they doing?” Alex asked.  
  
“It looks like they’re mapping the area and doing some shovel testing as they go,” Lindsey answered. “It’s one way of getting an idea of the ‘lay of the land’ in geographic and archaeological terms.”  
  
If Lindsey had been in the US or even in the UK, she might have been more cautious about approaching strangers, but her work in the Mediterranean to date had established that outside of major cities, it was generally safer than it was at home. As a rule, Turks were friendly and usually more than willing to help. Setting the parking break, but leaving the car running, she and Alex got out to ask directions.  
  
Lindsey’s Turkish was not the greatest, but she could at least manage to say hello politely, and although many Turks spoke English very well, they generally appreciated any attempt by visitors to speak Turkish.   
  
“Merhaba, bugün nasıl?” she said cordially.  
  
Both men replied politely to her greeting and there was a short conversation about the heat before Lindsey asked,  
  
“Ingilizce musunuz? Benim türk, o kadar iyidir.”  
  
The man closest to her nodded and replied in clear, but accented English,  
  
“Yes, we speak English, but your Turkish is not so bad efendim.”  
  
Lindsey dipped her head slightly and thanking him in Turkish, “Teşekkür ederim,” before continuing in English, “We are trying to access the road to Iskenderun but we cannot find the entrance. Can you direct us?”  
  
“Certainly efendim,” the man replied courteously. “You must go back the way you came on the main road five clicks into Dokuztekne. There you can follow the signs for the road to Iskenderun.”  
  
As he spoke, both Lindsey and Alex realized independently that something was not quite right. To the casual observer, nothing would have seemed odd, but as she listened to his directions, Lindsey was troubled by what she saw in front of her. Instead of a small shovel test pit, there was a trench about a meter long by about a half meter deep. At the bottom of it, she could clearly see some kind of cabling exposed. There was a pile of dirt next to the trench, but nothing near the screens or in the buckets. Whatever they were doing, it was not archaeological survey.  
  
At the same time, Alex had keyed in on the fact that the man giving them directions had said, “five  _clicks_ into Dokuztekne.” Everything else about his English was very formal, absent of any other slang, and this slang was the type that the military kid in Alex was very familiar with. Senses suddenly heightened, she also noticed that while both men were dressed as most of the Turkish workman on the dig site had been, instead of the sneakers or sandals that the workmen had worn, they were both wearing military issue boots. Something was definitely not right here. As she caught Lindsey’s eye, Alex was relieved to see that Lindsey had also noticed that something was off.  
  
Trying not to let on, Lindsey politely thanked the man in Turkish for his help and nodded slightly to Alex. She was turning back toward the car when the man she’d been talking to reached out and grabbed her by the arm. Lindsey’s first instinct was to defend herself, but she stopped short as she heard Alex gasp sharply. A third man had come out from somewhere in front of the parked van and was holding Alex’s arm in one hand, a gun in the other.  
  
 _“You just had to be nosy,”_ Lindsey’s captor grumbled in Arabic, close to her ear.  
  
Lindsey didn’t respond immediately. She spoke Arabic well, but she was suspicious why he would speak it to her now, when he knew that she spoke both Turkish and English. Shaking her head slowly she replied in English,  
  
“I’m sorry, I don’t understand. Can you speak in English or Turkish?”  
  
Instead, he gestured at Alex with a gun he had pulled from behind his back and spoke in Arabic again,  
  
 _“What about you blondie? Can you understand me?”_  
  
Alex’s wide blue eyes flew from him to Lindsey and she said frantically, “What is he saying Lindsey? What does he want?”  
  
Lindsey was on the verge of panic, but she forced herself to stay calm as she shook her head and said, “I don’t know Alex, I can’t understand him either.” It was clear to Lindsey that he wanted to know if they could understand Arabic, but she was damned well not letting him know that she did. She turned her head to look at him and repeated, “Please, we don’t understand. Can you tell me what you want in English or Turkish?”  
  
Satisfied that neither woman spoke Arabic he switched back to his heavily accented English and said,  
  
“Unfortunately efendim, you have seen something that you shouldn’t have. You both will be our guests until I figure out what’s to be done with you.”  
  
Turning to the other two men he said, “Make our guests comfortable in the van while I find out who they are and what they’re doing here.” With that he handed Lindsey over and moved to search their car. The two remaining men patted Lindsey and Alex down for weapons, finding none but confiscating their phones in the process. Binding their hands in front of them with heavy duty cable ties and placing a strip of duct tape over each woman's mouth, the men put Lindsey and Alex in the rear of the van. Lindsey sighed with relief as one of their captors, after shutting them in the back, walked around and started the van’s engine in order to turn on the air conditioning. AT LEAST WE WON’T COOK TO DEATH, she thought grimly as she scooted closer to Alex to give her whatever comfort she could while they waited for the man who seemed to be in charge to come back.

 

 

_**In case you'd like to orient yourself as to where in the world Lindsey and Alex are:** _


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More plot action...
> 
> Text in italics is spoken in Arabic

Lindsey squeezed Alex’s bound hands with her own and tried to communicate a sense of calm that she didn’t really feel at the moment. “It will be OK,” her green eyes said silently to Alex. She wasn’t sure it was true, but she was sure that their best chance lay with remaining calm and rational. She breathed a small sigh as she saw the panic in Alex’s blue eyes fade a little, and heard her rapid breathing slow. When Alex closed her eyes and rested her head on her hands, Lindsey squeezed them again and then moved her hands down as if to rub her leg. She didn’t want to give Alex any false hope or misplaced bravado, but her lips curved into a small smile as her fingers found something that their captors had missed in their search.  
  
Lindsey laughed silently to herself as she remembered thinking this morning, while she slid a small, slim switch blade and two hundred Turkish Lira into the hidden pocket in her sock, that John’s constant cautions must have rubbed off on her. Since the pocket was inside the collar of her hiking boot, the man who’d searched her hadn’t found it. It wasn’t much, but it was something. At the very least, she could cut them loose if given an opportunity. She could hear the voice of her Krav Maga instructor telling her repeatedly that her biggest advantage against a larger, stronger male was that men often underestimated the ability of a woman to defend herself. It was her first priority to take advantage of that fact when the time came. For now though, she needed to wait and watch.  
  
She didn’t have long to wait. Within twenty minutes of being placed in the van, Lindsey and Alex were blinking into the bright sunlight when the doors swung open. As their eyes adjusted to the light, they saw the man who seemed to be in charge. He was holding their passports and their phones. Gesturing to them, he spoke in English to the other two men with him,  
  
“Akim, Ali, meet Dr. Lindsey Tate and Miss Alexandra Porter. Dr. Tate is an archaeologist, and I presume that Miss Porter is her student?” He nodded to Akim who stepped forward and gently pulled the tape from their mouths as the first man continued,  
  
“Dr. Tate, Miss Porter, I am Abdul, and these are my colleagues Akim and Ali. It seems that you will be our guests for a while longer.”   
  
When Lindsey opened her mouth to protest, Akim moved to replace the tape, but stopped as Abdul held up a hand and said,   
  
“No. Let her speak.”  
  
“You have no right to hold us,” Lindsey said hoarsely. Clearing her throat, she continued, “We have done nothing wrong.”  
  
“That is true Dr. Tate,” Abdul agreed. “Unfortunately, we can’t let you go just yet. We need to keep a low profile, so until we leave Turkey, you will be our guests.”  
  
“But,” Lindsey started to object.  
  
Abdul held his up hand again and cut her off, “I am sorry, but I must insist. You have my word, if you do not cause trouble for us, you will not be harmed.” As he spoke, he nodded again to Akim who replaced the tape on both Lindsey and Alex. He shook his head with a small smile as Lindsey’s narrowed green eyes conveyed clearly to him exactly how much faith she had in his word.  
  
“Now, if you will both excuse us, we need to speak privately,” Abdul said to them as he calmly closed the doors of the van.  
  
 _“_ Trust his word! I trust that about as much as I believe that their names are actual Abdul, Akim and Ali!” Lindsey scoffed silently. “Sounds like the first three entries on a list of the most popular Arabic names,”she thought.

  
Sliding closer to the door, Lindsey listened, trying to catch whatever she could of their conversation, but they seemed to be moving away from the van as they spoke.  
  
“Just our luck…” she barely heard someone say in English before they moved out of her hearing. “ ** _DAMN IT_**!” she muttered behind her tape gag.  
  
 ******************  
  
“Just our luck that the only person in miles to stumble across us is a fucking archaeologist,” Ali sneered, kicking a stone with the toe of his boot.  
  
Akim nodded, agreeing, “No wonder she looked at the trench like that. I suppose it’s not quite up to “scientific standards”.”  
  
“ _Speak only in Arabic around them_ ,” cautioned Abdul, in Arabic. “ _The girl definitely doesn’t understand it. I’m not so sure about Dr. Tate though, so be careful what you say around her.”_  
  
“ _Are we really holding onto them? Wouldn’t it be easier to just get rid of them,”_ Ali asked as he lit a cigarette.  
  
Abdul’s jaw tightened as he replied, _“We’re not here to execute civilians.”_  
  
 _“Since when,”_  Ali snorted derisively.  
  
 _“Since now you idiot,”_ Abdul glared at him. _“Killing civilians will attract exactly the kind of attention we don’t want here.”_ Scrolling through text messages on Lindsey’s phone he continued, _“Command agrees…we sit on them until we leave. We’ll be gone before anyone even misses them. Just to be safe though,”_ he said nodding to Akim, _“take their car and call your local contact. Have him meet you somewhere close with another van. He can take their car east past Gaziantep and leave it somewhere on the road to Göbekli Tepe. That place is like catnip to Dr. Tate’s type, and we’ve had intel that the Syrians are sniffing around the Patriot installation at Gaziantep.”_  
  
Abdul tossed Lindsey and Alex’s passports to Akim going on,  
  
 _“Throw those back in the car and have him drop a Syrian coin or something outside the car. It will look like the ladies ran into a Syrian recon group who snatched them…at least long enough to divert the attention of anyone who might be looking for them until after we’re extracted.”_  
  
 _“Got it,”_ Akim said as he walked back toward the car, dialing his mobile phone. He got in and turned around, driving the car back toward the highway.  
  
Abdul looked back to Ali, _“Is the tap in place?”_ he asked.  
  
 _“Yeah. I was coming back to tell you that I was getting a signal from it when you grabbed the redhead,”_ Ali answered, putting out his cigarette in the dirt.   
  
 _“Good,”_ Abdul nodded. _“We should be out of here within forty eight hours of when we get confirmation that all the taps are working.”_  
  
 _“What about them?”_ Ali nodded to the van.  
  
 _“As soon as Akim gets back, you two take them to the house. Lock them in the back suite with the toilet and make sure to give them some water. I’ll finish up here and meet you there at…”_ Abdul looked at his watch, _“16:30. And, board up their windows – I don’t want to give Dr. Tate any ideas.”_  
  
 _“She’s all red head isn’t she?”_ Ali said with a nasty smile.  
  
Noting the smile, Abdul replied, “ _Keep your hands to yourself. I mean it,”_ he repeated as Ali snorted. _“No extracurriculars on this one – that’s an order!”_  
  
 _“Fine…back room, boarded windows, water, hands off – check!”_  Ali grumbled.

 


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Continued plotty goodness...

 

**Turkey – Thursday 6pm**

Lindsey and Alex had been locked in a room at the rear of a rather opulent house. Lindsey had no idea where they were…except that they had driven roughly two hours to reach the house. As prisons went, it was very comfortable. The room was equipped with two beds that were made up with crisp white linens and clean cotton blankets and it was cooled by an overhead fan. There was also an adjoining lavatory which came as a relief to both women. After Ali had shoved them into the room and locked the door, they had helped each other to use the toilet since their hands hand been bound behind their backs for the trip to the house. Before he’d left, he’d also made a point to throw two bottles of water into the room, which were of little use to them until they could manage to wriggle the tape off their mouths.

Alex had fallen into an uneasy sleep, exhausted by the stress of the situation. Lindsey wasn’t tired…too much adrenaline she supposed. Instead, she was pondering the Arabic conversations between Akim and Ali that she’d heard in the van, and that she could now hear while they worked outside the window. They both spoke Arabic fluently, but there was something about their phrasing that was odd. As she listened to them talk about a party, a Fourth of July party, and the All-Star Break, the reason suddenly became clear. There was a certain American quality to the vocabulary and word order. These were Americans – who else talked about the 4th of July and the All Star Break?! What the hell is going on here? Lindsey thought.

It wasn’t thirty seconds after this revelation that the leader of their captors, the man who called himself Abdul, unlocked the door and entered the room. Lindsey slanted a suspicious look at him above her duct tape gag. As Alex woke and struggled to sit up with her bound hands, he misinterpreted the reason for Lindsey’s glare. Noting the gags and the untouched water at the same time he said,

“Did Ali leave you like this?” Abdul cursed under his breath as he pulled a small knife from his pocket and cut their hands free. Putting the knife away, he gently removed their gags and handed them each a bottle of water apologizing, “I am sorry for him…he was to allow you to drink. I would not have you be uncomfortable.”

Lindsey only grunted softly as she took a deep drink from the water. Swallowing she said,

“You can’t keep us here. People will be looking for us. People are expecting us.”

Shaking his head calmly he held up her phone and replied,

“Convenient devices these mobile phones. No one will be looking for you. I took the liberty of sending a text message to your friend Sarah to tell her that you had decided that Antakya was too dangerous after all and have taken Alex to visit Çatalhöyük instead.”

Lindsey opened her mouth to protest but he interrupted her quietly saying,

“You will only be our guests for a few days. If you don’t cause any problems, you will be able to go home by Monday.” Pulling two fresh zip ties from his back pocket, he reached and bound Lindsey’s then Alex’s hands, in front of them this time saying, “I cannot risk leaving you totally unbound, but that should be much more comfortable . I don’t think the gags are necessary do you?” Lindsey shook her head resentfully. “Good, not that anyone would hear you in any case,” he replied.

As he was turning to leave he heard Lindsey speak, “Since we’re your guests, do you think that we might have something to eat?”

Suppressing his amusement at her not so subtle emphasis on the word guests he turned back to face her and said, “Of course. Despite Ali’s actions, it is not my intention that you be mistreated in any way.”

Lindsey’s brow shot up as her green eyes silently challenged him.

Abdul turned quickly toward the door to hide the small smile that curved his mouth as he noted the defiance in her eyes. She hides her fear well, he thought as he locked the door behind him and continued to his own room down the hall. The house was quiet for the moment since he had sent Akim and Ali to do a thorough sweep of the outbuildings and the perimeter of the property. He wasn’t particularly concerned about security at this remote mountain estate, but he needed them out of earshot for a while. He’d had ample time that afternoon to go through both Lindsey and Alex’s phones, quickly scanning emails, text messages and call logs, noting some critical connections. In his room, he opened a false bottom in his bag and pulled out his tablet computer and booted it up. Opening his email, he found the intelligence report that he’d requested. As he read it, he took out his own mobile phone and dialed. When the call connected he spoke, still in English, but now with a distinctly southern American accent,

“Hey… Yeah, the dummy taps are all in place….No, they don’t suspect a thing – there’s a reason their type flames out of special forces man…We’re right on schedule for Sunday afternoon.” Sitting down on the bed, he continued, “I’ve got one other thing. You remember that dust up on the Pakistani/Afghani border a few years ago? What was the name of that MI-6 Op who pissed off Arlington? Porter? Yeah, SAS – that’s what I thought. Well, guess who stumbled into my “dig site” today…his daughter and his girlfriend….Yeah, I’ve got them with me, they’re fine.”

Abdul listened as the person on the other end spoke before he replied, “This could be just the break we’ve been looking for to draw that snake out. If I figured out who these women are, it’s only a matter of time until he does….If you were Porter, wouldn’t you come for your women yourself – with or without auth? Well, I think when Porter comes for them, he’ll come for Porter – it’s perfect, we’ll grab him in the process – no way for him to slither out this time! …..No, there’s no way a rescue squad will find them first – I’ve left enough dummy trails to keep them busy looking in the wrong place until it all plays out. ….Yeah, I’ll check back in via text at regular intervals…I’ve gotta go, Heckle and Jeckle just came in.”

**London – Saturday 11 am**

Porter had come into the Section 20 offices for a few hours on Saturday to clear his desk of paperwork since he was taking a long weekend to welcome Lindsey and Alex home. He had just finished the last of it when Layla, whom he’d been surprised to see in the office on a Saturday, called out from the conference room,

“Porter, I need you to see something please.”

John groaned inwardly, looking at his watch, “Can it wait Layla? I’m picking up Alex and Lindsey at Heathrow and I have to swing by my flat first. I’m a bit pressed for time.”

“It can’t wait John, you need to see this,” Layla replied gravely.

Porter stood and walked around his desk to the conference room thinking that it must not be good if she was calling him John.

“What’s going on,” he asked.

A heavy, sinking feeling began to take hold of him as she gestured to a chair and said, “I received an intelligence report this morning. Porter,…..” she hesitated for a moment and then continued with a sigh, “Lindsey’s rental car was found about 10 km east of Gaziantep on the road to Urfa.” She turned to show him the location on a projected map.

“What?! What about Lindsey and Alex?” John barked shooting out of the chair that he’d just sat down in.

“There’s been no sign of them yet,” Layla replied. “But there were clear indications of Syrian involvement at the location where their car was found…it’s very near the border, and Gaziantep missile installation.”

“Lindsey wouldn’t have gone there – we talked over and over about the danger,” he said, maybe more to himself than to Layla. “How long?” John asked almost dully.

“The car was found last evening, but it took until early this morning for the local authorities to notify us.” Layla said quietly.

“You’ve known since early this morning? Why didn’t you tell me earlier?!” John demanded.

“I’m sorry Porter, but you know the procedure. I’ve been gathering information and coordinating with various agencies. Since the Americans have boots on the ground in Turkey, they are heading up the search,” Layla explained.

John nodded impatiently, “What about the people they were supposed to visit? Did anyone talk to them?”

Layla looked at her notes, “Yes, Sarah Bradford. She was contacted and reported to us that Lindsey texted her Thursday afternoon to say that they were headed to Çatalhöyük.”

Looking at the map John growled, “That’s the opposite direction from where their car was found…something is not right here!”

Layla was about to reply when he continued abruptly, “I can clear this up right now!” He grabbed the phone receiver and rapidly punched numbers on the keypad,

“Callum? John Porter,” John pressed the key for speaker and set the receiver in the cradle as he continued, “Are the units still transmitting?”

“Hold on a second while I pull it up,” the voice on the speaker replied. Layla heard the rapid clicking of a keyboard before Callum replied, “Yes, they’ve both been stationary for about 48 hours, but they’ve been sending a regular pulse indicating that they are still at maximum power.

John breathed in relief, “Good. I need you to email me a mapping of where they’ve been in the last 72 hours.”  
Keys began clicking again as Callum replied, “I’m mapping the locations now… There….it should be in your inbox any second.”

John logged into his email and opened the file which projected onto the screen showing the movements of two GPS tracking devices across a map of Turkey. “Thanks Callum, I’ve got it. Stay handy in case I need more info OK?”

“No problem mate!” Callum replied as John disconnected the call.

“What is this Porter,” Layla asked, looking closely at the map.

“The blue is Lindsey, the red is Alex,” he answered. When she looked at him askance he continued, “I installed Callum’s GPS prototype on the jewelry they are wearing. I can see exactly where they’ve been, and more importantly, where they are right this moment!” he explained. “Look Layla, the trackers clearly show that they were never anywhere near where their car was found, or Çatalhöyük for that matter. They went from Tarsus to just northwest of Dokuztekne and then back past Tarsus stopping about 75km due north of Icel,” he said connecting the dots on the map.

“What if their abductors took off the jewelry or…” Layla started to ask.

John broke in, “If they did, they must be wearing it, because without sustained, direct thermal energy contact the signal would have faded from power drain. They are right here,” he said, pointing emphatically to the spot on the map where the dots ended. “The Americans are searching in the wrong place, they’ll never find them!” John said desperately.

Layla held up a slender hand, “No, I cannot give them this intel – this is untested technology Porter. I cannot send an allied search team on what might be wild goose hunt.”

“Then send a Brit-….” John began, but Layla cut him off saying,

“The Americans are leading this. The UK cannot officially interfere,” she said sternly. She knew him well enough to read the dangerous glint in his steely eyes and she continued more gently, “However, that does not mean that I can’t unofficially assist a private citizen who also happens to be a former SAS rescue operative.”

John took her outstretched hand and squeezed it gently rumbling, “Thank you Layla.”

“Don’t thank me yet,” she warned. “I can arrange to get you transport in and out via the fleet and the sovereign bases on Cyprus, but you’re on your own in Turkey Porter.”

“Understood,” John answered, understanding the risks of a solo operation only too well.

“Right,” Layla said pulling the laptop around in front of her. Let’s see if we can’t resurrect a couple of your less conspicuous legends shall we?”


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Plot, Plot, Plot

To the casual observer, John Porter looked alert and focused, but a closer inspection revealed a frequent tick in his clenched jaw and a steely glint in his eyes. Porter had been on dozens of search and rescue missions like this. He knew the drill inside and out, but sitting in the belly of a C17 transport plane as it prepared for a routine supply run to the British sovereign bases on Cyprus, he was working hard to master his emotions.  
  
One moment John was furious with Lindsey for putting herself and Alex into danger. The next he reasoned that she hadn’t really done anything to court danger – sometimes things simply happened. Worse, was his crippling fear that something would happen to them before he could reach them. John’s feelings about this hadn’t changed since he’d confided them to Lindsey in November. Alex was his flesh and blood, his only child. Lindsey was his heart and soul. He wasn’t sure that he would survive if anything happened to either, or worse, both of them.   
  
He also wondered  _if_  – no,  _when_  - when he found them, how he would treat them. He couldn’t treat them with the sort of detached care he used in a typical hostage situation. They weren’t “typical hostages,” they were his family. At the same time, it was vital to all their survival that he be able to function objectively. Looking at his watch as the plane took off John knew one thing absolutely: he had about four hours to get his fear and uncertainty in check. There was no room for either where he was going.  
  
The C17 landed at Dhekelia, on the southeast coast of Cyprus, shortly after noon local time on Sunday. Porter caught a ride from the base to the civilian airport at Lefkoşa where Layla had arranged a commercial flight for him to Adana on a tourist visa – several tourist visas actually. He had three different sets of passports and visas tucked into his gear just in case. He was also outfitted with matching driving licenses, credit cards and a supply of Turkish lira as well as replacement travel documents for Lindsey and Alex. Porter had been amazed by how fast Layla had pulled it all together. Despite her warning that there was little she could do for him in Turkey, she had reached out to a contact there and managed to secure a small arsenal of weapons that would be waiting for him in an Adana hotel room booked under the name of one of his aliases. While Layla had worked out all these details, Porter had studied maps of the area and of Icel and planned out a variety of different entrance and exit strategies. Since he basically had no idea who was holding Lindsey and Alex, he wanted to be prepared for just about anything.  
  
The flight from Adana was less than an hour long. Once he was on the ground Porter picked up a rented SUV and headed to the prearranged hotel to check-in and retrieve the “package” that was waiting there for him, wrapped in festive gift wrap. Entering his room and bolting the door behind him, Porter opened the box to find a duffel bag stocked with a variety of weapons. There was an HK 416 assault rifle and silencer, two 9mm semi-automatic pistols, a half a dozen stun grenades, two knives and enough ammunition to start an international incident. Having familiarized himself with Turkish weapons regulations on the flight, Porter knew that possession of all but the knives was enough to land him in Turkish prison for a very long time, so the plan was to keep a low profile.   
  
He tucked a small switch blade knife into the pocket of his cargo shorts and packed the weapons and the rest of his gear into a back pack which he then slid inside a large beach bag for the walk back through the hotel lobby to the SUV. He didn’t want to take any chances, but no one seemed to pay much attention to one more visiting tourist in shorts and flip flops. Setting the bag in reach, just behind the center console, Porter started the SUV and made his way out of Adana and onto the road toward Tarsus. On a deserted stretch he pulled off to the side and changed from his tourist clothes into desert camo trousers, a load carrying vest and boots, then got back into the SUV. Once he was in the driver’s seat he pulled one of the pistols from the bag, tucked it into the back waistband of his trousers and pulled back onto the road.  
  
Using the software Callum had installed on his mini tablet Porter followed the GPS signals from Alex and Lindsey’s necklaces, which had not moved from the location they’d been transmitting from since Thursday evening. It was just past 6pm when he pulled off the road again. Judging by the GPS trackers, he was about three kilometers from Lindsey and Alex. Not wanting to tip their captors off to his presence, he found a spot to park the SUV, hidden in a small grove of olive trees, grabbed his pack and continued on foot. Porter hadn’t seen much sign of habitation for a good while. The area was marked by low hills and seemed to be largely given over to grazing lands and olive groves interspersed by the occasional village or even more occasional town. He’d walked about two kilometers from the SUV, keeping low and watching for any signs when he came over a rise and saw a large house about 500m in the distance. Crouching behind the rise he pulled a pair of binoculars from his pack to take a closer look. The place looked to be some sort of rural estate. In addition to the house there were several outbuildings of various size. Porter looked at the GPS markers on the tablet…500m dead ahead. There was nothing else with in that range – this had to be the place he was looking for.  
  
His first instinct was to rush in and free Lindsey and Alex, but he quickly fought it down as he raised the binoculars again to scan the area for a closer spot to scout from. He located a position about 300m ahead and carefully moved to it to better assess what he was dealing with. From his new location, Porter could see that there was an ornamental fence and a gated entrance at the front of the property, but no sign of a perimeter fence. There were two utility trucks parked in front of the house. As he continued to observe, he saw two men come out the front door of the house and split up to do a hasty recon of the property.  _They aren’t very concerned with security_ , Porter thought as he watched them move quickly around, giving only cursory glances into the outbuildings before reconvening on the front steps of the house where his view of them was partially obscured by one of the trucks.   
  
Looking around again Porter found an even closer position and keeping any eye on the men in front of the house, he moved slowly along a line of trees until he was within 100m of the gate. The men on the steps hadn’t moved. Taking out the mini tablet, he watched as the GPS software recalculated to his new position. Noting that it was locating at a point straight in front of him, he reasoned that Lindsey and Alex were being held inside the house. Still slightly higher than the estate, his new position gave him a clear view of both the house and the outbuildings. He watched and waited.  
  
The shadows lengthened as the sun began to move lower in the sky…Porter checked his watch…19:55. He looked back to continue observing. As yet, he had seen no one beside the two men currently sitting on the steps conversing. Less than ten minutes later a third man came out of the house and spoke briefly with the other two before climbing into one of the trucks and driving off on the road toward Icel. The two men on the porch rose and went back into the house. Watching the sun continue its descent, Porter decided to wait another 30 minutes for sunset since the cover of darkness would be to his advantage.   
  
As it turned out, he didn’t need to wait that long, within fifteen minutes the remaining two men came back out of the house with packs, got into the truck and drove off in the same direction as the first, leaving the gate open behind them. Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, Porter slowly made his way down the hill toward the property, keeping to the shadow of the tree line as much as possible. Pulling the rifle from his back he moved stealthily to check out the outbuildings. He found nothing, no sign of Lindsey and Alex or their captors. In the shadows of a small shed, he took a minute to pull the tablet from his vest and double check the trackers. Both signals were still strong. They had to be somewhere inside the house.   
  
Stowing the tablet, Porter was puzzled – why had they taken Lindsey and Alex only to leave them seemingly unguarded? Using the scope of the rifle from the cover of the shed, he scanned the windows of the house for any movement. There were no lights visible, and no signs of movement from within. He moved quickly across the yard from the shed to the side of the house, walking slowly around the periphery, peering in windows along the way, still seeing no signs of guards inside. As he came around the back side of the house he saw two boarded windows with narrow slits of light shining through cracks between the boards. Bingo! Continuing along the back side of the house Porter found the back door unlocked and cautiously entered the building.  
  
He moved silently through the house checking each room. Finding no one, he pulled doors shut behind him as he cleared the house room by room until finally, at the end of a long hall, only the room with the boarded windows remained. It was the only locked door that he’d found in the house. Still not fully convinced that there wasn’t someone lurking somewhere, rather than drawing attention by simply kicking the door in, Porter pulled the longer of his two knives from its sheath, slid it between the latch and the strike plate and pried gently until it released. Rifle in hand, he eased the door open and entered the room.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Lindsey squinted through the cracks between the boards on the windows. The sun was definitely going down. The house around them was quiet, eerily quiet. Usually Abdul had brought them some sort of dinner by now. Something was different tonight. Lindsey wasn’t sure what was happening, but she didn’t plan to sit there like a trussed turkey and wait to be killed. Despite his decent treatment, Lindsey didn’t put much faith in Abdul’s assurance that he’d release them.  
  
“Alex, come over here,” Lindsey said quietly as she bent and plucked the small knife from its hiding place in her sock.  
  
Alex put down the book she’d been reading, one of a number that Abdul had placed in the room the morning after he’d taken them, and glanced questioningly at Lindsey as she moved.  
  
“Hold out your hands,” Lindsey said.  
  
Alex did and then breathed sharply as Lindsey quickly cut through the cable tie binding her wrists. “Where did you get that?” Alex asked.  
  
Lindsey handed the knife to Alex and held out her own bound hands replying, “I’ve had it all along, I was just waiting for the right time.”  
  
“Is now the right time?” Alex asked in some confusion as she took the knife and cut the ties from Lindsey’s wrists.  
  
“I’m not sure, but I just have this strange feeling,” Lindsey answered quietly, rubbing her wrists. “Like something is about to happen,” she said taking the knife back from Alex. Lindsey stilled as she heard a small sound from the door. She held up a hand to Alex and whispered,  
  
“Shhh! Did you hear that? That wasn’t the key in the lock.” There it was again – a kind of metallic scratching at the lock and then a soft click as the knob turned.  
  
Lindsey pulled Alex with her into the shadows, knife in hand as the door swung slowly open.


	14. Chapter 14

By the time the door opened fully and a booted foot slowly crossed the threshold from the darkness of the hall, Lindsey had formulated a plan. Retracting the blade of the knife in her hand, she didn’t pause to look but cried, “Alex run!” as she charged forward, with her head down to leg tackle the “intruder.” Lindsey didn’t register Alex’s incredulous voice say, “DAD?!” until she landed flat on her back on the thick carpet, her tackle efficiently blocked. She looked up, stunned to see John smiling down at her.  
  
“I told you that you wouldn’t get the drop on me again luv!” he said before propping a rifle against the door and reaching down to pull Lindsey to her feet and into his arms. When he released her and turned to hug Alex, Lindsey felt a dam inside her burst. All of the control that she’d exerted over the past few days dissolved and she dropped her head into her hands and wept with relief. He had come to rescue them – she hadn’t dared to think about such a thing, and now the reality of it simply overwhelmed what was left of her defenses.  
  
For a brief moment, John and Alex just stared before John gave Alex a tight squeeze, kissing her on the forehead before he moved to wrap Lindsey in his embrace. Feeling the strength of his arms close around her, Lindsey only cried harder, sobs shaking her frame as she began to speak brokenly,  
  
“I’m so sorry….you were right….almost got Alex killed…ever forgive me…”   
  
John made out bits and pieces as he gently rubbed her back and made soothing sounds to calm her.  
  
“It’s OK Lindsey. It’s nobody’s fault sweetheart – we can talk about it all later. Shhh luv, shhh…it’s OK now,” he crooned, then tried distraction, “Can you tell me how many were involved?”   
  
Lindsey mumbled something unintelligible into his chest.  
  
“We only ever saw three men Dad,” Alex answered, coming from the bathroom where she’d fetched some tissue and a wet cloth for Lindsey.  
  
John gently pried Lindsey’s arms from around his neck. She was calmer now, so he stepped back slightly to let her wipe her eyes and nose.  
  
“I saw three men leave here about twenty minutes ago, and I didn’t see any sign of anyone else,” John replied. “But it’s too convenient - I don’t like it, so we should move.  Soon.” Turning to Lindsey he cupped her jaw and stroked her cheek with his thumb saying more gently, “OK now? I’m here, and I’m going to take you both home.”  
  
Lindsey nodded and said, “I’m fine – I’m sorry to fall apart like that. It’s just that you are the last person I expected to walk through that door.” She paused for a moment, and then continued, confused, “He said no one would find us here…that he sent them looking for us everywhere else. How  _did_  you find us?”  
  
John reached out and touched the silver pendant at her throat replying,  
  
“I put a tracker on your necklace.” A small smile tugged at one corner of his mouth as he watched her process the information before he doubled over with an, “oof” when she slugged him in the gut.  
  
“ _That_  was for being sneaky and putting a tracker on me, and  _this_ ,” Lindsey said as she pulled his head to hers and gave him a brief but torrid kiss, “is for being sneaky and putting a tracker on me. You’re brilliant – paranoid, but brilliant! Can we get out of here?”   
  
Grinning, John was turning to retrieve the rifle when he saw Alex running a finger over her locket. He nodded at her and said, “We’ll take it off as soon as we get home.”  
  
Alex laughed and replied, “It’s OK Dad, for once I’m really glad you’re sneaky and paranoid!”  
  
They moved together down the hall, quietly making their way to the front door of the house. They had come about half the distance to the door when the bright beams of headlights flashed across the front windows.  
  
“Shit!” John burst out softly. “I  _knew_  this was too easy!”  
  
Backtracking, he ushered Lindsey and Alex into a bathroom and rummaged in his pack for a minute before handing them each a pistol, an extra ammunition clip, the mini tablet and an envelope.  
  
“Stay here while I check this out. If I’m not back in ten minutes, go out the back door – shoot anyone who tries to stop you! Follow that GPS signal back to the SUV – there’s a set of keys in the center console. I’ll meet you there,” he said. Looking into Lindsey’s eyes he continued quietly, “If I’m not there fifteen minutes after you get there, you leave without me and drive to Icel.” John put a finger to her lips when she opened them to object. “No arguments – I mean it Lindsey…you don’t wait for me! There are instructions in the envelope – you follow them and get to Cyprus,” he finished urgently.  
  
John kissed them both and then left, silently closing the door behind him. Creeping through the darkened house, Porter ducked into a recessed archway as he heard the front door open and close. Heavy, booted footsteps moved toward him and he silently unsheathed his knife. When the figure had moved past him, Porter quickly grabbed him from behind, one hand over the man’s mouth, the other arm wrapping around his torso to drive the knife between his ribs and deep into his heart. By the time Porter dragged him back into the archway and pulled out the knife the man was dead. Porter moved carefully to look out the front window. There, in the same utility van that had left thirty minutes ago, was the second man Porter had seen earlier. He sat smoking a cigarette, apparently unaware of John’s presence, for the moment at least.   
  
Porter returned to the bathroom to quickly and quietly collect Lindsey and Alex, leading them to the back of the house and out the back door. They skirted along the side of the house, keeping close watch in all directions as they moved toward the front. They were about to round corner when John noticed the flicker of a flashlight from inside the house. He motioned for Lindsey and Alex to stay low and follow him around the corner of the house. Crouching next to the front steps, with Lindsey and Alex behind him, Porter pulled one of the stun grenades from his vest pocket.   
  
“This should draw him out of the house,” he whispered. “Put you heads down, close your eyes and cover your ears,” he quietly told them before he stood up and threw the grenade a few yards to the right of the truck and then dropped back down to cover his own head.  
  
The grenade went off with a bright flash and a deafening bang which brought the man, Ali, running out of the house. As he charged down the steps, Porter sprang up and kicked his legs out from under him, sending Ali sprawling across the ground, his gun flying from his hand. Porter stepped forward to kick the weapon away and swung his rifle around to shoot the prone man.  
  
“John don’t…please,” he heard Lindsey say urgently from behind him. Porter looked at her quickly seeing her nod in Alex’s direction.  _Dammit!_  Porter silently cursed, glancing from the man on the ground to his wide eyed, trembling daughter. He didn’t like to leave loose ends like this, but he couldn’t kill this unarmed man in front of her.  
  
“Get up!” he barked at Ali. The man on the ground turned his head to spit some blood from his mouth but didn’t move otherwise.  
  
Stepping out from behind John, Lindsey freed the safety and pointed her own weapon at him, hissing in clear Arabic, “I know you're American, asshole! Now get up before I shoot you myself!”   
  
Ali rose slowly to his feet and moved to take a step toward Lindsey snarling in English, “You stupid bitch!” before the stock of Porter’s rifle connected sharply with his jaw and he crumpled to the ground, out cold.  
  
Porter squatted down to search Ali’s pockets saying, “Let’s go, we’re taking his ride” when he came away with the keys. With Lindsey and Alex safely seated in the cab next to him, Porter started truck and turned out of the gate, headed back to his hidden SUV.  
  
~~~~~~~~~  
  
“Well I’ll be damned!” Abdul laughed softly to himself from his vantage point on a rise not far from the position Porter had vacated less than an hour before. Abdul had spent the past hour parked, waiting, some 15km down the road to Icel. He’d been watching for Akim and Ali’s truck to go past him on their way to the city so that he could double back to the house and collect the women. When they had finally come past his position only to turn around and head back toward the house he had cursed out loud, “What the hell are those idiots doing now?!” They were supposed to be well on their way into Icel to rendezvous with their extraction team – or at least that’s what  _they_  thought.  
  
Abdul detoured off the main street and followed a number of smaller dirt roads back to the house, parking his truck some distance away and continuing on foot to his current location. He’d arrived just in time to watch through a night vision scope as a tall dark haired man cold-cocked Ali with the butt of his rifle before bending to search his pockets and then driving off to the northeast in Ali’s truck with Dr. Tate and Alex Porter .   
  
Exchanging the scope for his phone, Abdul dialed and when the call connected said, “The snake totally underestimated this Porter – I don’t know how the guy found them so fast, but unless I’m wrong, Porter just rescued my “hostages.” Abdul listened to the reply before continuing,  
  
“Those morons were supposed to be halfway to Icel for “extraction” by now, but they went back to the house for something and ran into Porter…I just watched him knock one out the in the front yard and take his truck – I haven’t seen the other one yet, but something tells me he’s  _not_  in good shape.”  
  
Abdul began to make his way down to the house shaking his head as the person on the other end of the call spoke,   
  
“No,” he said, “nothing has changed. As far as the snake knows, we still have the women to lure Porter with. The “meet” will go down tomorrow as planned….yeah, I checked the place today – the old man who owned it died last year and nobody has touched it since….Sounds good – I’ll go clean up after Dumb and Dumber here.”  
  
Disconnecting the call, Abdul slid the phone into his pocket as he walked across the yard to where Ali was still lying motionless. Stopping to pick up the fallen weapon from the ground, he continued into the house and found Akim’s body in the doorway. A quick check of his pulse confirmed that the man was dead. He quickly searched through Akim’s pockets removing everything he found in them, before he rose to his feet and walked back outside to see that Ali was struggling to sit up, awake, but still groggy. Abdul walked towards him shaking his head and holding out a hand to help Ali to his feet while saying, “It's too bad you decided not to follow orders, but I can let a fuck-up like you compromise the most important part of this mission." Instead of helping him up, Abdul shot Ali dead where he sat, then slid the gun into the waistband of his trousers and ambled up the hill to his truck after removing all traces of an identity from him as well.


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Angst ahead...

Once they were on the road heading back toward the SUV John glanced at Lindsey and asked,  
  
“What did you say to him back there?”  
  
“I told him that I knew he understood English and to get up or I’d shoot him myself,” Lindsey replied calmly reaching behind her to slide the pistol he’d given her back into John’s pack.  
  
“I didn’t know you spoke Arabic,” he said before shaking his head and continuing, “ I’m not clear at all on what’s going on here – can you fill me in from the beginning?” As they drove Lindsey recounted the details of what had happened from the time she and Alex had first encountered the “surveyors” until John had found them. As she finished, John pulled to a stop on the side of the road and said abruptly,   
  
“Time for a new ride,” before he got out of the truck and pulled his pack from behind his seat. Walking around the front of the van, Porter threw the keys into the underbrush and led Lindsey and Alex into the olive grove to the SUV. Retrieving the tablet computer and stowing his bag, he looked at their route as Lindsey and Alex buckled into the vehicle, Alex in the back seat listening to an iPod from John’s pack. Once they were all settled and underway again, this time heading toward the port of Icel, John glanced at Lindsey and recapped,  
  
“So you happened on them digging alongside the road, not far from the airbase and they grabbed you and brought you to that house?” At Lindsey’s nod he continued, “Layla told me that the Turkish and American authorities believed that the abductors were Syrian based on evidence from your car, but you’re convinced they’re Americans right?” Lindsey nodded again, so did John saying, “He certainly sounded like an American when he came at you.” John paused briefly, tapping on the steering wheel and thinking as he drove and finally said,   
  
“What you saw in the trench sounds like a fiber optic cable. I’d bet our “friends” back there were installing taps on the lines out of _Incirlik_ – probably to keep tabs on communications to the missile installation at Gaziantep. If they’re Americans, they’re probably private contractors – Blackwater or something like – I doubt the CIA would get their own hands dirty in this shit.”  
  
Lindsey looked over at him, an almost comically quizzical look on her face as she said, “American spies hiring American subcontractor spies to spy on the American military?!”   
  
“Wouldn’t be the first time luv.” John laughed briefly at Lindsey’s sour expression then focused on the road and said,   
“On the bright side, I doubt anyone will come looking for us. Even if you could find the spot again, that tap is long gone by now, and those blokes are ghosts."  
  
Lindsey breathed a small sigh of relief and leaned lightly against John before turning to look out the window, never realizing that he was pondering why they’d been taken at all. His experience told him that it would have been much easier to just get rid of Lindsey and Alex. He fought back a shudder as the realization hit him that he could just as easily be searching for their remains right now.  
  
Sometime later as he drove, John looked at his watch. 22:30. They’d been driving for nearly an hour, but hadn’t gone particularly far. The road to Icel was one curve and twist after another which made for slow progress, especially when combined with the dark, moonless night. John had told Lindsey and Alex that the plan was to meet their contact in Icel to catch a ride on a fishing boat that would take them to a rendezvous with a British naval vessel on a NATO minesweeping patrol in international waters. From there they would be transported to a British base on Cyprus. The fishing boat was leaving port at 2:00 a.m. with or without them on board. Glancing at the map briefly, Porter saw that once they had cleared the next 10km of winding road, they’d be able to make much better time and should have no problem making it to the port by 02:00.  
  
At least it seemed that way until five minutes later when John rounded another curve and cursed explosively, shocking Lindsey and Alex when he braked sharply. They both gasped as they saw a small flock of goats and a lone cow in the road ahead. The goats moved quickly across the road, but the cow stood, as if frozen, in the beam of the headlights. John attempted to maneuver around it on the narrow road. He had slowed and swerved sharply.  He had narrowly missed the bulk of the cow when he heard something snap in the SUV’s suspension. He fought to control the damaged steering of the vehicle as he tried to bring it to a stop. The SUV had slowed enough that the impact was reduced, but as it swung around, tires screeching in the silent night, the rear end, behind Alex’s seat, crashed abruptly into a large boulder on the side of the road.   
  
As the dust settled, the cow ambled off the road into the darkness, and the occupants of the wrecked SUV caught their breath.   
  
“Everyone alright?” John asked turning to Lindsey as he unbuckled his seatbelt. At her nod, he looked behind his seat to Alex who was pale and shaken, but also nodded that she was OK. Satisfied that no one was seriously injured, John climbed out to assess the damage to the vehicle. The back panel of the car was dented in and the rear tire was at pushed out at an odd angle. Not good. Pulling a flashlight from his pocket he laid down to look under the front end of the car. Damn! Even worse, the steering linkage was snapped. He looked at Lindsey and Alex, who were sitting on another rock watching him and said wryly,  
  
“Well, we didn’t hit the cow, so someone around here will have milk tomorrow. The bad news is that this car is going nowhere and we’re still about 40km from Icel.”  
  
Alex was the first to speak. “We passed a farm not long ago,” she said.   
  
John nodded in agreement, “I saw it too, about 1km from here. We’ll get all our gear and head there to see if we can find any help.”   
  
Once all of the gear was stowed back in his pack, Porter hoisted it onto his back and they started back toward the farm. As they walked along the road, John noticed that Lindsey was limping and asked,  
  
“Are you alright luv?”  
  
“I’m OK,” Lindsey answered. “I just banged my ankle on the door when we hit the rock. I’ll be fine,” she maintained. It took them about 25 minutes to reach the darkened farm with Lindsey trudging along behind John and alongside Alex, who wasn’t moving very easily herself. Directing Lindsey and Alex to a small stand of trees, John took off the pack, propping it against a tree and said,  
  
“Stay here.  I’ll check it out.”   
  
As he moved quickly into the shadows carrying his rifle, Alex groaned and slid down a tree trunk to sit on the ground, her head in her hands.  
  
“Are you OK Alex?” Lindsey asked with concern.  
  
Alex replied slowly, not lifting her head, “I think so…I’m just feeling a little sick from all the excitement.”  
  
Lindsey joined her on the ground, waiting anxiously until John returned some 10 minutes later.  
  
“Place looks abandoned,” he reported. “There’s no electricity running anywhere, and I didn’t see any signs of life. The house is locked, but there’s a storage shed that’s open. We’ll start there.”  
  
As he turned to grab his pack and lead them to the shed, Lindsey pulled him aside and said quietly,  
  
“Something is wrong with Alex…”  
  
John turned back and asked, “Alex, are you hurt?”  
  
“I’m fine Dad, just a little shaken up,” Alex replied and moved to stand, groaning and swaying dizzily.  
  
“You’re not fine,” John said as he reached out a hand to steady her and then gently lifted her into his arms. Lindsey picked up the pack and followed alongside as John, carrying Alex, led the way to the abandoned farm.   
  
Once inside the shed, Lindsey shook the worst of the dust out of a tarp and laid it on the ground in front of the pack so John could ease Alex down. By the light of a flashlight, he looked his daughter over for injuries. When he slowly raised her shirt, John could see the clear imprint of the seat belt on her slim torso. Lowering her tee he covered her with a clean shirt from the pack and took her pulse. He murmured quietly to Alex before moving to talk softly to Lindsey,  
  
“I don’t think she’s in shock, but it looks like the seat belt may have injured her in the crash,” he said.  
  
Lindsey’s green eyes widened and she said urgently, “We have to get her to a hospital!”  
  
“Yep,” John agreed, “but how? I could run back up and get the van we took from the house….”  
  
Lindsey, who’d started pacing around the shed as he talked, cut him off as she tripped over something propped against the back wall. The hand she reached out to catch herself felt the treads of a tire. She said, “John, bring a light. There’s something here.”  
  
Armed with two flashlights, they “unearthed” a small motorbike from under a pile of crates and boxes. They moved it out from the wall to take a closer look.  
  
“Look! The keys are in it!” Lindsey exclaimed as John twisted the cap off the fuel tank.  
  
“Got a full tank of fuel too,” John rumbled, turning the bike to push it outside. “Well, let’s see if it starts,” he said.  
  
Outside the shed, it took a few cranks on the starter and some tweaking to the carburetor, but the bike finally started and began to idle smoothly.  
  
Porter started to speak, “I’ll ride this to where we left the truck and come back and get you and Alex.”  
  
“No John, you can’t,” Lindsey replied urgently.  
  
“You’ll be OK,” he said calmly. “I’ll leave you the 9mm’s and…”  
  
“No, that’s not it,” Lindsey explained. “It will take you hours to get there and back – Alex can’t wait that long.”  
  
“What are you saying,” he said.  His eyes widened as her point became clear to him. “No. NO Lindsey! I’m not leaving you here. I know the road now; I can make it much faster…”  
  
“But what if the truck’s not there?” she persisted. “What if Ali woke up and retrieved it? We’ll have lost all of that time and fuel.”  
  
“Fucking loose ends!” Porter exploded.  
  
Even in the shadows of the dark shed, Lindsey could see past his outburst, to the anguish in his eyes as he realized she was right. She reached out to frame his face in her hands and kissed his lips tenderly then said,  
  
“You have to John – she’s your baby and she’s hurt. You’ll come back for me…I know you will.”  
  
John wrapped her in his arms and kissed her desperately, knowing she was right but balking at the thought of leaving her behind, alone and unprotected. Gradually, they separated, moving together to take the supplies from the pack that Lindsey would keep, placing them in one of the crates that had hidden the motor bike. One of the 9mm pistols, two extra clips, the smaller knife, some food and water, a flashlight. Once they’d finished, John pulled Lindsey to him again, rumbling low and fierce in her ear,  
  
“You stay put and stay out of sight! I’ll be back for you by noon tomorrow and then I’m never letting you out of my sight again!” His hands coasted over her, as if committing the curves and planes of her body to memory. “Keep your necklace on – if you have to move, I’ll find you…”  
  
Lindsey nodded, touching the pendant fleetingly before reaching up to stroke his angled jaw. “I’ll be here – you should go now,” she said.  
  
He nodded, kissing her forehead softly. Securing the pack on his back he leaned down and scooped Alex’s slender frame into his arms. He hushed her gently as she moaned and twisted in pain, “Shhh sweetheart, I’ve got you Lexie.”  
  
“Dad?” Alex breathed, and then grimaced, holding her left side. “It hurts Daddy,” she whispered.  
  
“I know baby,” John soothed as he climbed carefully onto the bike, cradling Alex in front of him. “Wrap your arms around me. Daddy’s going to keep you safe,” he said quietly, stroking her hair softly as she calmed.  
  
Lindsey moved close to them, holding a strip of soft cloth she’d torn from the edge of her shirt and asked,  
  
“Should we tie her arms around you in case she passes out and lets go?”  
  
Porter nodded…he should have thought of that himself. He’d been so concerned about comforting Alex that it hadn’t even occurred to him. He’d been right to be worried that his love for them might affect his ability to think clearly. He was immensely grateful that Lindsey was there to help. Lindsey, his love, his partner, even in this. He smiled softly at her as she gently, but securely tied Alex’s wrists around his waist.  
  
When she was finished, she looked up and saw his troubled, but smiling face and smiled back. She spoke briskly, as if sending him off to the office, “Alright then, drive safely, and I’ll see you around noon.” Lindsey bent down to kiss his lips and whispered, “I love you John Porter – you are my hero – no matter what!”  
  
Porter groaned and leaned his forehead against hers. “I love you Lindsey Tate– I’ll be back for you tomorrow, no matter what!” he replied in gravelly murmur before he pulled away turned the bike to set off down the road.

Lindsey watched the lights of the bike disappear into the darkness before she limped back into the shed, closing herself in and barring the door to wait for daylight.


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Motorbikes, boats and helicopters....

_**The HMS Leicester is a fictitious vessel, but there are actual vessels of her type cruising the Mediterranean as part of a larger NATO fleet._  
  
John pulled into the fishing harbor at Icel, with Alex shifting fitfully in his lap, just after 01:00 hours. He’d had to stop several times along the way to rearrange and re-secure Alex in front of him on the bike. She had slept on and off on the trip, but she was complaining more of abdominal pain and nausea as time went on. John had checked her periodically, and she was still not showing any obvious signs of shock, so he was hopeful that her injury wasn’t too serious. Even so, he used all of his powers of persuasion along with a healthy dose of cash to convince the fishing boat captain to cast off thirty minutes ahead of schedule.  
  
John made Alex as comfortable as possible in a nest of blankets in an out of the way area of the deck and then pulled out his phone to call Layla while he was still within range of the port.   
  
The phone rang several times before Layla answered, “Thompson…”  
  
“Layla, it’s Porter,” John replied  
  
“Good to hear from you, are you on your way home?” Layla asked. There was no reason to believe that anyone was listening to their conversation, but it was always better to be safe.  
  
John answered, “Not quite yet…Alex and I are going for a boat cruise today, she’s dying to see some of the fleet that’s sailing the Mediterranean so we’re getting an early start in hopes of seeing one of the ships.”  
  
Layla digested that information…something had happened to Alex that Porter wanted to move up their rendezvous with the Royal Navy vessel.   
  
“You should have no difficulty catching up with the Leicester… she left port on the NATO mission and is making diplomatic stops all over the Eastern Med. Tell Alex not to worry, I’m sure your captain will know where she is. How is Lindsey? Excited to come home?”  
  
“She’s fine. She just had a few things to finish up on the mainland, so she couldn’t come with us today. I was thinking that she and I might take this boat trip tomorrow?” Porter said cautiously.  
  
“Hmmm,” Layla thought for a moment. “I think Lindsey had much rather take a ride out on a speed boat than a cruiser…perhaps you can rent one for the day?”  
  
“Maybe,” John registered that the fishing boat would not be available again. “Do you know of a good place to rent one?”  
  
“I do, I can set it up for you if you’d like,” Layla replied cheerfully.  
  
“That would be great Layla – Lindsey will love that. It will give her a chance to relax after being away. She told me that she had forgotten how difficult dealing with Americans could be…even for an American! She joked that she might lose her ‘American card’ if people knew,” Porter explained.  
  
This took Layla aback…Porter was saying that Lindsey reported that their captors were Americans. This was unexpected, and confidential, at least for the moment. Layla responded with a laugh,  
  
“Well tell her that her secret is safe with me! I’ll text you the info for the boat rental. Tell Lindsey we should all have dinner and catch up when you get home from vacation.”  
  
“Thanks Layla, I’ll tell her.” As he rang off, John made a mental note to tell Lindsey and Alex that Layla would eventually need to debrief them about their abduction.  
  
It was nearing 02:30 when they reached the coordinates that Layla had provided to the captain via her contact in Turkey. The outline of the helicopter carrier HMS Leicester was clear in the distance. The fishing boat captain radioed the larger vessel, whose captain gave them permission to come along side so that John and Alex could be transported onto the ship. Fortunately it was a calm, clear night, so the fishing trawler had a relatively easy time holding its position as the crew of the Leicester lowered a life boat down to her deck. John had stowed his larger pack with the weapons and ammo in a locker in the harbor at Icel, so as the boat came down to the level of the trawler, he stuck his arms through the straps of his smaller day pack and lifted Alex gently into the life boat before jumping in himself. The crew on the carrier activated the lifting mechanism of the life boat bringing John and Alex to an opening in the hull of the ship some levels below the main deck.   
  
Layla had clearly radioed ahead since there was medical staff waiting as they were pulled aboard. Alex was transferred to a gurney and taken directly to the sick bay with John following close behind. He was waiting in a small anteroom for the shipboard medical assistant to return with a report of Alex’s condition when a young sailor came out and handed John a bag holding clean clothes and some toiletry items saying,  
  
“There’s a shower just across the hall if you want to clean up and change. Doc says she’ll be at least twenty minutes. John nodded in agreement, taking up the kit and heading across the hall to find the shower. Not only was he grimy from the day’s activity, but it gave him something to do while he could do nothing else for Alex. He was back in the anteroom, showered and changed, twenty five minutes later when the medical assistant, a blonde woman in her early thirties came out to speak with him.  
  
“Hello Sgt. Porter, I’m Annette Jenkins. I’m the Medical Assistant here on the Leicester. I’m glad to see you were able to freshen up,” she said.  
  
“John is fine ma’am. I’m retired from the regiment. How is Alex?” John asked, with an air of thinly veiled urgency.  
  
Annette gestured to a chair, sitting beside him as she said, “She’s stable, and I’ve started an IV to get her some fluids. Based on the location of the bruising from the safety belt and the abdominal pain she reports, it appears to be a spleen injury.”  
  
Annette laid a gently restraining hand on his arm as he moved to stand and continued, “These injuries can be very serious, but the fact that she’s not in shock and has no substantial swelling is a good sign especially since this accident occurred what…about four hours ago?”   
  
John verified this with a nod and asked, “What now?”  
  
“I’m almost certain that there is no rupture, probably only a contusion, but we really need a CT of her abdomen to be sure,” Annette explained. “Since we don’t have that technology on board, we’re preparing a helicopter to transport her to hospital in Lefkosa on Cyprus for the scan. Grab your gear, and we can head up to the flight deck. Alex is already prepped and ready to go,” she said, smiling gently as he shot out of the chair, pack in hand, ready to move.  _Once SAS, always SAS_ , she thought to herself, reflecting upon what her patient, Alex, had told her of her father during the examination.  
  
Twenty minutes later, the naval helicopter landed on the helipad at a civilian hospital in Lefkosa, the Turkish name for the long time capital of Cyprus, Nicosia. The navy had smoothed out the immigration details due to the emergency nature of their entry in the country and their military connection to the nearby British base at Dhekelia. Events like this had become such a matter of course to John over his years in the military that it hadn’t even occurred to him that it might be a problem.   
  
John was directed to a waiting room while the hospital staff wheeled Alex off to the radiology department for a CT scan. Anxiety about Alex and near panic about Lindsey made it impossible for John to sit still as he waited. He alternated between fidgeting in a chair and pacing about the room. Fortunately, he had the room to himself for the thirty minutes that passed until a doctor entered to fill him in.  
  
“Mr. Porter?” John nodded and stood as the doctor approached, reaching out to shake his extended hand. “I am Dr. Kagan. I’ve examined your daughter’s CT scan and the results of the other tests we’ve run. It appears that her spleen was bruised fairly seriously in the accident, but there is no sign of abdominal bleeding whatsoever.”  
  
John was somewhat relieved but asked warily, “What do we do now?”  
  
“Well,” the doctor replied, “I’d like to keep her here for a few days to monitor her condition, but after that she only needs to rest quietly for a while and I anticipate that she will make a full recovery.”  
  
John let took a deep breath and let it out, “Good, that’s good. Can I see her?” he questioned.  
  
“Of course,” Dr. Kagan replied, looking down at the chart he was holding. “She is resting comfortably now. She’s been moved to room 352 Mr. Porter. The elevator down this hall to your right will take you to her floor.”  
  
John thanked the doctor, shaking his hand again before turning to walk down the hall to the elevator. He found Alex’s room without trouble. When he walked in, a young nurse, who was wrapping up a blood pressure cuff, looked up and smiled at him saying in lightly accented English,   
  
“You must be her father…you have the same eyes. She is a little groggy from the pain medication, but she’s awake,” The nurse gathered her things and pulled the door shut quietly behind her as she left.   
  
As he turned his attention from the departing nurse to the pale form of his daughter on the bed, Alex’s eyelids fluttered open.  
  
“Dad?” she croaked, and then winced as she reached for a cup of water on the bedside table.  
  
John moved quickly forward, “Here, let me help you.”  
  
Taking a sip of the water and then laying back with a small sigh Alex said, “Thanks. How’d I get here?”  
  
John smiled, sitting lightly on the edge of the bed as he rumbled, “A version of ‘Planes, Trains and Automobiles’ called ‘Motorbikes, Fishing Boats and Helicopters.’ Don’t you remember?”  
  
“Only bits,” Alex replied closing her eyes as she said sleepily, “Where’s Lindsey? Is her ankle OK?”  
  
Alex’s eyes shot open and she sat up with a groan, becoming increasingly agitated as John explained that they’d had to leave Lindsey behind.  
  
“You have to go get her Dad,” Alex urged, desperate tears welling in the clear blue eyes that were mirrors of her father’s.  
  
“I’m going to sweetheart. I needed to make sure that you’re OK first,” John said.  
  
Alex insisted, “I’m fine Dad…I’ll be fine here. You have to go get her – NOW!” She was practically shouting by the time she finished her sentence.   
  
John moved to gently ease her back down against the pillows. “Calm down Alex, I’m going, right now. I’ll bring her back – don’t worry,” he said soothingly. “You need to rest now. I’ll see you soon.” Kissing her gently on the forehead, he left the room.  
  
Two phone calls and several called in favors later, John was climbing out of a speedboat, driven by the friend of a friend of a friend stationed at Dhekelia, onto the deck of the fishing boat as it stowed its nets and prepared to head back into the port at Icel. It was just after 9am when the fishing boat moored at its berth and John disembarked. When he emerged from retrieving his larger pack with the weapons in it, a young boy approached him and handed him a small bag. Handing the boy a coin, Porter sat down on a crate to look in the envelope. It appeared that Layla had been busy making arrangements. Inside the bag were keys and instructions to a vehicle parked nearby, as well as information about a hotel room for the night and a rental boat for the next day. He was again amazed at Layla’s efficiency and connections – although he was rather surprised she hadn’t made them dinner reservations! Laughing grimly at his own joke, Porter shouldered his pack and made his way retrieve the vehicle that would take him back to Lindsey.


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **some violence in this one**

Lindsey woke with a start as she heard a vehicle pull up and park next to the shed. It took her a moment to shake the cobwebs from her head since it felt as if she had only just fallen asleep. After John and Alex left, she’d rummaged around in the shed and managed to arrange a pile of crates against the wall where she could sit resting her back and head. Once the adrenaline rush of the moment faded away, she found herself exhausted, but unable to do more than doze fitfully, waking every time she heard a noise. She’d crept carefully out of the shed at dawn to relieve herself, but then ducked quickly back out of sight inside in case someone happened by. The day had promised to be hot and sunny, but in the shade of a large tree, the darkened inside of the shed was actually cool and comfortable and she had finally been able to relax into a deeper sleep.

Fully awake now, Lindsey looked at her watch as she climbed down from her improvised bunk. 11:50. Right on time as usual, she thought as she hurried to open to the door. If she hadn’t been quite so tired and so overwhelmingly relieved that her ordeal was nearly at an end, Lindsey might have paused before she yanked the door open to greet John. She stopped cold as she met the barrel of a gun in the doorway. When the man holding it waved the gun at her, Lindsey stepped slowly forward, blinking into the bright sunlight as she left the shed and struggled to assess the situation she found herself in now. Behind the gunman she saw a handsome man of average height with reddish brown hair. As the gunman grabbed her arm, Lindsey rapidly considered her options. She could easily free herself from the hold on her arm, but she doubted her overall success against two armed men. John was due to arrive at any time. She decided her best bet was to cooperate for now.

The red haired man interrupted Lindsey’s train of thought when he stepped forward and spoke, “Well, well, well,” he said snidely, his American accent clear. “It looks like ‘Abdul’ misplaced something. Hello Dr. Tate, where’s your little friend?”

Somehow not surprised he knew who she was and assuming he was referring to Alex, Lindsey lied, “I don’t know what you mean. I’m alone here.”

Her head exploded in pain as he backhanded her viciously across the mouth. “Don’t be difficult LINDSEY! Where is Alex Porter?” he demanded.

Lindsey used her sleeve to wipe a trickle of blood from her mouth as she replied, “We escaped from ‘Abdul,’ but I hurt my ankle, so she went on without me. I don’t know where she is now.”

This was at least partially true, and it seemed to satisfy him somewhat since he didn’t hit her again but instead, absently rubbed his chin thinking out loud,

“Too bad, I really wanted to dangle his daughter’s life in front of him. But,” he paused, eying Lindsey up and down in a lascivious appraisal that made her skin crawl, “he’ll _definitely_ come running to find you,” he sneered. He turned to acknowledge a third man who had come across the yard from the house.

“The house is clear if you want to go in,” the third man said.

The red haired man nodded and grasped Lindsey’s arm, pulling her away from the gunman as he barked an order in that direction, “You – patrol the grounds. I don’t want any surprises. And you,” he continued, turning to the third man, “find ‘Abdul’ and deal with him, and then find out what happened to the girl. I’ll take Dr. Tate here inside to wait for Prince Charming to show up.”

The man who’d been ordered to leave spoke up, “Sir, don’t you think I should stay close in case there’s any trouble?”

The red haired man snorted derisively, “I think two of us can handle one washed up SAS reject – go find ‘Abdul’ and the girl!”

With that he turned and pulled Lindsey along behind him. Although her ankle wasn’t bothering her much at all, she limped heavily as she allowed him to drag her along. Whoever this guy was, he clearly didn’t think that either she or John was much of a threat, and she was happy to let him think it. _For now_.

It was around 12:30 when John neared the property where he’d left Lindsey the night before. He was agitated as he looked at his watch. He’d told her he’d be there by noon, but he’d had a fair amount of difficulty getting out of Icel in the Hummer H2 that Layla had arranged for him. He could plow through a whole herd of cows with it, but getting it through the narrow streets of the busy port city had taken more time than planned. He rubbed the back of his neck wearily. It had been a busy 36 hours and he was running on fumes. He’d caught about an hour of sleep on the boat back into Icel, but what he really wanted now was to get Lindsey to safety, wrap himself around her and sleep. That pleasant thought was blown from his mind as he drove up on the house and saw a black Jeep being parked, out of sight, behind the shed. “Who the fuck is that?!” he cursed, as he drove past the house without slowing down until he rounded a bend in the road and was out of sight. He parked the Hummer and took out the iPad mini to check Lindsey’s tracker. The signal showed her still on the property. _Thank God_ he thought silently as he gathered his gear. A few minutes later he was loping down the road, armed to the teeth, determined to find Lindsey and ready to eliminate anyone who stood in his way.

Porter crept back onto the property, keeping to the trees and the shadows until he located the man who he’d seen in the jeep – another mercenary from the looks of him. John wondered briefly what was really going on. Something was off, but he pushed explanation aside for the time being. When the mercenary went in to check out another building, Porter ducked into the shed where he’d left Lindsey. She was gone, but her supplies were still there – he stuck her 9mm into the waistband of his fatigues and moved to peer through a crack in the wall. He saw the mercenary making his way toward the shed, clearly on a patrol of the property. Porter ducked into the shadows adjacent to the door and pulled out a knife. When the mercenary stepped in to check the shed, Porter slid out silently behind him and efficiently dispatched him. He shoved the slumping body away and turned to leave the building, barring the door behind him.

Porter quickly searched the other buildings and, finding no trace of Lindsey, headed for the house. He’d barely gotten through the door when he heard the metallic click of a weapon being engaged and then a mocking American voice, from a sitting room to his left, say,

“Well, if it isn’t John Porter – what took you so long?! Lindsey here said you weren’t coming, but I knew I could count on you!”

Porter turned to see a man in khaki holding Lindsey with an arm around her neck and a semi-automatic pistol at her temple. The pistol motioned him forward as the man spoke again.

“Drop your weapons and kick them away.”  Porter dropped his rifle and pistols, pushing them out of reach with his left foot.

“The knives too,” the man replied pleasantly with a sly smile. Porter pulled one knife from a sheath at his waist and another one strapped around his thigh.

“Thank you,” came the polite response from the gunman holding Lindsey before he continued conversationally, “You know, all things considered, you got here faster than I expected. No wonder though – I’d hurry too with such a hot piece of ass waiting!” he finished with a smirk, one hand still holding the gun to Lindsey’s head while the other slid slowly over her full breast before coming to rest at her hip, one finger dipping into the waistband of her trousers.

A subtle clench of his jaw and a fierce gleam in his eyes was the only sign John gave of his rage at this pawing, and the swollen, bloodied corner of Lindsey’s mouth.

“Who are you and what do you want?” John asked in clipped tones.

The man replied, “I told your friend Collinson not to ‘mess with the big dogs’, and look what happened to him. Did you really think I’d let you slide after all the trouble you’ve caused me Porter?”

“Arlington!” Porter burst out. He should have known he hadn’t seen the last of the rogue CIA agent when he found out that he’d jumped bail and gone missing.

“Very good Sergeant! It’s a shame that your pretty little daughter couldn’t join us, but I imagine Dr. Tate and my men will put on a good show for you before I kill you,” Frank Arlington taunted.

Porter made a move to step forward but stopped dead when Arlington tightened his grip on Lindsey’s neck and gently tapped the gun against her temple.

“Ah, ah, ah! Behave yourself or I’ll have to get creative with the lovely Lindsey here.”

Lindsey whimpered softly and raised her eyes to John’s. Instead of pain or panic he saw fury burning in their clear, green depths. She narrowed her eyes slightly, communicating silently as she stretched her neck to the left, away from the gun at her right temple. John nodded in response, understanding her unspoken message, ready for what came next. Arlington misread Porter’s nod as an agreement to “behave” and began jeeringly,

“That’s bet-,” right before Lindsey caught him completely off guard when she simultaneously pushed the gun away from her head with one hand while driving her opposite elbow into his gut. When he reflexively dropped his hold on her, she dove away from him to the left, giving John an opening. Before Arlington had a chance to react, Porter had knocked the gun from his hand and pulled a knife from his boot, driving it between Arlington's ribs and into his heart with a sharp twist of the slender blade.

What was really only a minute or two seemed to spin out in slow motion as Porter pulled the knife out and Arlington, a look of shock on his face, fell to the ground dying. John had turned to move toward where Lindsey sat on the floor, his back to the door, when he heard her shout, “John, get down!” and then, as he dropped to the ground, the crack of several rounds being fired. He rolled to see a third gunman in the doorway clutching at a blooming red stain on his chest as he too fell to the floor. Porter looked back at Lindsey who was staring in horror past the barrel of the gun she still held, to the fallen man.  John took the weapon from her frozen fingers and asked softly,

“Are you OK?” as he gently cupped her cheek. When she nodded woodenly, he rose to quickly check both Arlington and the other man. Both were dead, or close to it. He moved back to Lindsey and pulled her to her feet.

“C’mon luv, let’s get you out of here,” he murmured, wrapping a strong arm around her waist and leading her out of the house and back to the Hummer. Lindsey was silent on the short walk, but when John opened the passenger door to help her in she said urgently, “I think I’m going to be sick!” before she turned quickly and vomited repeatedly on the side of the road while John held her hair back from her face. When she was finished, he helped her into the Hummer and fetched her a drink of water. As she drank, he wiped her face and brow with a bit of cloth he’d torn from his shirt and moistened from the water bottle.

“I killed that man,” Lindsey whispered painfully, clutching at his hands for support, her head bowed.

John’s brow furrowed and his eyes softened as he looked at the top of her lowered head and replied softly, “If you hadn’t killed him, he would have killed us both.”

Lindsey looked up, silent tears slipping down her dirt stained cheeks as she said, “I know but…”

“No ‘buts’ Lindsey, not now. You did what you had to do – OK?” he said feelingly.

“I guess so,” she replied, raising her eyes to his. “I’m so sorry John,” she paused when his brown crinkled questioningly. “I’m sorry for assuming that killing is easy for you because of what you do. It’s not is it?”

John shook his head slowly as he leaned in to kiss her on the forehead and replied, “It’s never easy to kill someone, but sometimes there’s no other choice.”

Lindsey nodded sadly, thinking about how many times he’d gone through this in the past, about how much personal conflict he’d endured to do his job. She hugged him close and asked earnestly, “Can you take me away from here now? Please?” Lindsey smiled at him as he leaned back and ran his thumb gently across her lower lip and said, “Absolutely!” before turning her legs into the truck and closing her door, then moving swiftly around the front of the Hummer to jump into the driver’s seat.

~~~~~~~

Lindsey had dozed, slumped against the window, for much of the return trip to Icel. John had barely been able to wake her enough to walk from the parking structure to the hotel when they arrived mid-afternoon. As he spoke with the desk clerk, John quickly covered Lindsey’s slumped condition and their lack of luggage with a story of a nightmarish set of flight delays that had resulted in both. The clerk was sympathetic and offered them an upgrade to a seaside suite on a quiet upper story of the hotel, an offer which John gratefully accepted.

By the time the elevator reached their floor, John had slung the backpack over his shoulder and scooped a sound asleep Lindsey up in his arms to carry her to the room. Once inside, he laid her gently on top the covers of the large bed and went to lock the door and switch on the AC. Turning back to the bed he smiled softly when he saw that she had curled up on her side with her hands between her cheek and the pillow. John sat on the opposite side of the bed to remove his boots and then did the same for Lindsey, careful not to wake her, though he doubted he could at the moment. Padding barefoot to the closet, he grabbed a spare sheet and draped it over her before climbing underneath, curling Lindsey into his arms spoon style and falling asleep.

John woke several hours later in the very same position he’d started in, with Lindsey still out cold next to him. She didn’t stir as he slipped carefully from the bed. He’d never seen her sleep so soundly, but then, she was totally unaccustomed to the kind of traumatic experiences that she’d endured. Looking down at her sleeping form, clothes rumpled and stained from all she’d been through, he realized that she needed something else to wear. They both did. The ammo vest he’d been wearing earlier had taken the brunt of the damage from the struggle with Arlington. He’d left it in the Hummer with the rest of the weapons and ammo for Layla’s contact to collect eventually. He judged his own clothes as passable, so he might as well run out and do a bit of shopping while Lindsey slept. Returning an hour later, several shopping bags in hand, John was surprised to find her still asleep. When he leaned over to softly kiss her, she mumbled something unintelligible and rolled over away from him. John shrugged and headed for the bathroom.

Lindsey came slowly awake, momentarily disoriented by her surroundings. She had no recollection of arriving at the hotel, but as she stretched across the king sized bed, it was clear that they’d not only arrived safely, but had also been there for some time, since it was beginning to get dark outside. Seeing no trace of John, except for his boots next to hers at the foot of the bed, she followed the sound of running water to the bathroom. She stopped in the doorway to savor the vision before her eyes. John was in the shower, his lower legs obscured by the steam on the glass door, but the rest of him on full, glorious display. He was leaning forward, his head pillowed against his crossed, muscular arms which rested on the wall while hot water pounded against the back of his bent neck. The water ran in rivulets down the sculpted planes of his broad back, over the luscious curves of his ass and then continued out of sight down his long, muscled thighs. Lindsey licked her lips and began to silently strip off her rumpled clothes….


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Return to NSFW for Porter and Lindsey

The noise of the water disguised her entrance into the shower, and Lindsey felt John jump slightly when she wrapped her hands around his middle and laid her head against his back,  
  
“Mmmm, I’ve missed this,” she said, her tongue darting out to lick a bead of water from his skin.  
  
John rumbled in appreciation and replied,  
  
“I was beginning to think that you’d sleep all night. How do you feel?”  
  
“So much better after sleeping,” she answered rubbing soap between her hands before beginning to massage it onto his broad shoulders, then down his back. She lingered on the bulge of muscle under his shoulder blade before following the soap bubbles as they slid over his firm behind.   
  
John groaned deep in his chest as Lindsey’s hands, slippery with soap, kneaded his ass. Before she had a chance to slip her hands lower, between his legs, he turned to face her with a sultry smile – his hardening cock nudging her belly above her cupping hands. Lindsey stroked him gently and stepped closer to press her face into the patch of hair in the middle of his chest, inhaling,  
  
“Ahh, you smell so good – so clean and fresh. Will you do me?”  
  
“I’d be happy to luv, buy let’s get you cleaned up a bit first hmm?” he sniffed jokingly as he ran a caressing hand over her hip and then turned them both around so Lindsey was standing in the spray of the shower.  
  
“Har, har, har,” Lindsey answered, stretching her neck back to wet her hair then moaning softly as John’s soapy hands moved over her breasts and down her belly. She giggled and twitched as they returned to her armpits,  
  
“No fair tickling!” she gasped and then turned her back to him and asked, “Will you wash my hair? It’s like a bird’s nest.”  
  
She heard John’s affirmative hum next to her ear as he nibbled on the sensitive curve of her neck before reaching for the shampoo.   
  
Lindsey was practically purring as he washed her hair, his strong hands gently working shampoo through the tangles, then massaging her scalp. At his light nudge she turned back to face him, her eyes closed, and tipped her head into the water so he could rinse her hair. Lindsey turned back and forth as he repeated the process with conditioner, leaning back against him and sighing contentedly when he combed it through her auburn curls with his long fingers. When he had turned her again and finished rinsing out the conditioner she wiped the water from her face and opened her eyes to look at him with a soft smile,  
  
“I love you,” she said, twining her arms around his neck and pressing a soft kiss to one corner of this mouth.  
  
“I love you too,” John answered huskily, his lips moving against hers as he spoke, before he captured them in a lush kiss, his tongue rediscovering the sweetness of her mouth. When her tongue tangled with his, he growled softly and wrapped his arms around her, one hand dropping to cup the curve of her bottom, the other splaying across the middle of her back. After a six week separation, their hunger for one another was intense, amplified even more by the danger they had narrowly escaped. They cleaved together, hands roaming each others bodies, caressing, kneading, inflaming, as one kiss flowed endlessly into the next.  
  
Lindsey’s head dropped back as John tore his lips from hers to rain kisses along the length of her neck while his hands stroked her breasts. She gasped, clutching at his shoulders, when his long fingers tweaked and tugged at her nipples, hardening them into firm nubs.  
  
“God I missed you Lindsey! Missed this, missed us,” he rumbled into he ear before he bent to kiss and nibble his way from her neck to her breasts, stopping on the way to bite softly at the tender ridge of muscle where her shoulder joined her neck. John gently turned Lindsey so her back was supported against the wall while he dipped his knees and continued kissing down her chest until he reached her berry ripe nipples. Lindsey hummed with pleasure, threading her fingers through his wet hair as his lips and tongue moved back and forth between her aching breasts. She breathed sharply when he sucked one hardened nub into the wet warmth of his mouth, worrying it lightly with his teeth. Lindsey felt John’s lips curve in a smile against her skin, and then felt him groan when her hand clasped firmly around his cock, and stroked up and down.  
  
He straightened to kiss her lips and then gently pried her caressing fingers from his throbbing shaft,  
  
“This will be over before it’s started if you keep that up luv,” he said when she moaned in protest. Before she could say anything more, he dropped to his knees in front of her, water beating on his back, and lifted her right leg over his shoulder while his eyes devoured her soft folds, open before him. Briefly tracing one finger around her clit and then down to her opening, he dropped a soft nipping kiss on each of her thighs and then turned his mouth to gently lap at her, tracing his tongue from bottom to top before settling to lick and suck intently on her bud.   
  
Lindsey groaned and arched against him as he sucked on her clit and slid one long finger inside her. When he hummed against her hot, wet flesh with a deep murmur of satisfaction, she shuddered and clenched her thighs, grinding against his mouth and gasping brokenly,  
  
"That’s so good….don’t stop….please…”  
  
John responded by slipping a second finger into her clenching depths, then sliding them in and out of her while he purred against her sensitized nub,  
  
“How’s that baby?”  
  
Lindsey groaned, and then screamed softly, coming in a powerful rush when he nipped at her clit at the same time as his thrusting fingers arched perfectly inside of her.  
  
John felt her walls squeeze his fingers as he consumed the scent and taste of her arousal, content to ease her back down, even though his own body was screaming for fulfillment. Less than a minute later, he felt her hands tugging insistently in his hair, urging him upward. Holding her steady against the wall, he slid up her body, kissing along the way, and taking in her panting breaths and lust glazed green eyes as she whispered,  
  
That was incredible, but nearly enough,” she paused, reaching to take his cock in her hand again, pumping firmly as she pulled him gently toward her.  
  
John growled as her hand squeezed and stroked his cock, feeling himself grow even harder as she nipped at his ear and said throatily, “I’d really like you to fuck me now – hard!”  
  
He turned his head and caught her mouth in a scorching kiss, their tongues intertwining hungrily. He absolutely loved it when she talked dirty to him…it made him completely crazy. He also loved that Lindsey knew exactly what buttons she was pushing.  
  
Dipping his knees slightly, he drove into her in one deep thrust that made them both cry out.  
  
“Yes! Just like that…” Lindsey urged, and then broke off as she slipped against the slick tile wall and tried to right herself. John grunted and moved inside her again. When Lindsey responded by clenching herself on his cock, he gasped and thrust into her harder. She moaned in satisfaction and then they both groaned in frustration as she slipped again.  
  
“Dammit,” John growled. Wrapping her legs around his waist, he hoisted Lindsey up, his pulsing cock still inside her. Lindsey wrapped her arms around his neck when he rumbled, “hold on,” and stepped carefully out of the shower onto the mat. Grabbing a towel from the rack he tossed it across the marble vanity and set Lindsey on it.  
  
“Now,” he purred, plunging into her welcoming depths again, “where were we?”   
  
Lindsey arched herself toward him and said huskily,  
  
“You were going to fuck me. Hard!”  
  
John’s nostrils flared and the muscle in his jaw twitched as he watched Lindsey brace her arms against the mirror behind her and read the unmistakable promise in the sultry depths of her green eyes. Pulling her hips to the edge of the vanity and pushing her legs wide apart, he drove into her wet heat again and again, growling deep in his chest as her erotic moans and carnal urgings pushed him closer and closer to the edge.  
  
“That’s it baby….let go! Fuck, yes!” Lindsey groaned, clenching around him and reaching to rub her clit. She knew he was close, and she wanted to come with him.  
  
John watched, his eyes burning with lust as her head fell back while she fingered herself just above where they were joined. That was it.  
  
“God…yes!” he ground out throwing his head back, his hips snapping as he finished in a flurry of deep thrusts, gasping when he felt Lindsey’s body pulse rhythmically around him as his came, long and hard.  
  
They fell together, Lindsey’s legs wrapping loosely around John’s lean waist, his head lolling weakly on her shoulder as they panted with the force of their joining. It was several minutes before either one of them could summon enough breath to speak. John was still breathing heavily when a snort of laughter took what breath he had recovered as he heard Lindsey whisper wryly into his ear,  
  
“I think I’m gonna need another shower!”

 

 


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> NSFW for...reasons.

Once they’d finally made their way out of the bathroom, John and Lindsey had opted to order room service rather than go out into the town for dinner. Between Lindsey’s continued fatigue and John’s concern that they might still encounter trouble, a quiet meal on their tenth floor, seaside terrace seemed an ideal solution.

After they had eaten, Lindsey, still wearing the hotel robe, yawned hugely and went to rummage through the shopping bags while John called the concierge to arrange a cab to take them to the harbor in the morning. The first bag she searched contained a pair of khaki cargo slacks, a white tee shirt and deck shoes. Apart from the shoes, it was essentially John’s summer “uniform.” She shook the clothes out and laid them across the back of a chair smoothing out their creases before she returned to investigate the second bag. She pulled out a pair of white cotton capri pants and a black and white polka dot shirt of a light, airy material. There was also a pair of black and white Mary Jane style sneakers. Laying the capris and the top across a second chair, she hummed with pleasure as she pulled out a fresh set of underwear. She was delighted to see that he had chosen simple cotton panties and a sports bra. Like many men, John was all but hopeless when it came to picking out women’s underwear. After a comically disastrous attempt at a Valentine’s Day gift involving a G-string and sequins, they had laughingly agreed that Lindsey would be in charge of underwear selection in the future. She would have worn the sequined g-string at this point if it meant she wouldn’t have to put the underwear she’d been wearing back on. Lindsey had been dreading that prospect, even though she had washed them out earlier.

John completed the call to the concierge and turned back to find Lindsey still searching the bags.

“Did I forget something?” he rumbled softly, coming close and wrapping his arms around her from behind.

Lindsey straightened and turned in his arms, smiling up into his blue eyes as she said slowly,

“Well, this robe is too bulky, and I don’t find anything else to wear to bed.”

“Hmmm,” he hummed, kissing her softly on the mouth before turning away to dig in his pack and pull out a rolled up, army green tee shirt.

“You can wear this, it’s cle..” he said, trailing off as he turned to face her

Lindsey had removed the robe and stood nude before him. Her gleaming auburn curls brushed the lightly tanned tops of her shoulders as she tossed her head,

“Or, I could wear this,” she murmured, dropping the robe and taking a step toward him with a seductive smile.

John’s groin twitched at the sight of her peaches and cream nakedness, and the sensual promise glowing in her eyes. He moved to pull her into his arms but stopped with a sympathetic smile as another yawn broke across her face. Sexual desire gave way to an overwhelming tenderness as he pulled her gently forward and bundled her into his shirt. Lindsey’s cheeks pinkened and she protested,

“I’m fine. Really…” as she reached for him.

“Shh,” John interrupted. “That can wait luv, you’re exhausted, and we’ll have at least a couple of hours of pretty hard travel tomorrow.”

“I’m too keyed up to fall asleep right now anyway,” Lindsey complained, running her hands up and over his bare biceps to his shoulders. After they’d showered, he’d pulled on the pair of rumpled cargo shorts from his pack, but hadn’t bothered with a shirt. John caught her hands as they reached his chest.

“There are other ways to relax you know,” he chided gently, leading her to the bed. “Lay down, I’ll be right back,” he said with a light pat to her bottom before he walked into the bathroom. Lindsey was lying on her side when he returned from the bathroom with a small bottle of body lotion. John climbed onto the bed next to her and purred,

“Roll onto your stomach Lindsey.”

Lindsey groaned in anticipation as she smelled the light, herbal fragrance of the lotion and felt him straddle her hips, keeping his weight off her as he reached forward and slipped his hands beneath the oversized tee to begin massaging the lotion into her tired muscles.

“This is dirty pool,” Lindsey sighed, reaching to move her hair to one side so he could rub her neck and shoulders. “You know I can’t resist a back rub!”

John leaned forward, kneading her shoulders gently as he murmured low in her ear, “I know. You’re like putty in my hands. Now just relax sweetheart, and let me take care of you.”

Lindsey moaned and arched her neck when he hit an especially sensitive spot. Responding to the sensuous sound, he shifted his position across her hips. She wriggled as she felt the growing hardness of his groin against her bottom.

“How am I supposed to relax when I can feel that?” she grouched, groaning in disappointment when he shifted away from her a bit.

“That will be there later, I guarantee it!” he replied, grinning widely as she turned her head and grumbled into the pillow.

John could feel the tension easing from her body as he continued to massage her back. He was reaching for the lotion bottle a few minutes later when he heard a soft snore come from Lindsey.

“Mission accomplished,” he laughed quietly, climbing slowly away from her. Just as he had done earlier, John made sure that the door was secure and turned out the lights before returning to the bed and slipping under the covers next to Lindsey. He smiled softly when she rolled to her side, laying her hands under her cheek as she always did. He lay there a long while just listening to the soft, steady sound of her breathing, eventually drifting off to sleep happy beyond measure that she was safe in his arms finally.

It was pitch dark when Lindsey woke. She sat up slowly, trying to orient herself as she swung her legs off the bed and rose to her feet. Her eyes were drawn to the light coming in from the windowed balcony as she walked to the bathroom. She froze with fear as she saw the figure of a man in the shadows. She new instinctively that it wasn’t John standing there. Her voice shook as she asked,

"Who's there?"

Lindsey’s mouth opened on a silent scream when the man stepped out of the shadows, the hotel room melting to a different backdrop as he spoke.

“Don’t you know me Lin-zee?” he slurred

“No! It can’t be,” she shook her head, trying to clear it. This wasn’t real. It couldn’t be! “It’s not you – I killed you.” Arlington’s goon, the man she had shot, only laughed, a horrible gurgling sound.

“Not dead yet Lin-zee…not before you!” he rasped as he lurched toward her, blood seeping from the bullet wound in his chest.

When Lindsey tried to back away from him, she felt strong hands close on her upper arms and hot breath panting on the back of her neck.

“He’s coming! Let me go!” she cried out, struggling against the hard hands that held her.

“I’ve got you Lindsey,” Frank Arlington’s voice sneered in her ear.

“NO!” Lindsey shrieked.

John woke to Lindsey’s restless movements next to him. He’d been afraid this might happen after the events of the afternoon, afraid that Lindsey’s guilt over the shooting might result in nightmares. When they’d first met, Lindsey had been plagued by vivid nightmares of the car wreck that had killed her family. Since she hadn’t experienced one of those dreams in over a year, he was pretty sure what she was dreaming about now.

Shaking off the cobwebs of sleep, John called out her name softly, trying to wake her first without touching her. Her thrashing movements only grew stronger as she struggled in her sleep, her mouth opening but no sound coming out. Gripped by the dream, she didn’t wake to his voice, so he rubbed her arm gently murmuring, 

“Wake up Lindsey. It’s just a dream luv. Wake up baby, I’ve got you. I've got you Lindsey."

Lindsey came awake with a harsh scream, quaking and fighting against him when he reached for her.

“NO! Let me go! You’re dead! Let me go!” she croaked.

John released her and said softly, “Lindsey, it was a dream – it’s John. You’re OK luv. I’m turning on the light.”

Soft light flooded the bed as he rolled away and switched on the bedside lamp. When he rolled back, Lindsey was sitting up, her wildly tossed auburn curls in stark contrast to her ashen face, her chest heaving. She sat stock still for a moment and stared at him as if she didn’t recognize him, her green eyes wide and dilated with fear, before she cried out and quickly crawled across the bed seeking shelter against him. Clinging to him, her nails digging into his shoulders as she held on, she stammered,

“It was horrible John. They were here!”

John’s hands stroked up and down her back and his chest rumbled beneath her cheek as he asked calmly, “Who was here Lindsey?”

He could feel her efforts to command her emotions and control her fear. Her chest expanded against his as she took a deep breath and answered, more steadily now,

“Arlington and the man I killed. I dreamed that they were here to take me. To kill me.”

John’s brow wrinkled with concern as he pulled her tighter into his arms and spoke quietly against her ear, his deep velvety voice calming her,

“Oh, Lindsey! I won’t let anyone take you – it was only a dream luv. You’re safe.”

Taking her head in his hands he tilted her face up to look into her eyes, his heart contracting at the lingering fear he saw there. “You’re safe now,” he repeated fervently, kissing her gently on the forehead and then brushing his lips across hers.

“I know,” Lindsey sighed, melting against him as his thumbs wiped the tears from her cheeks and his lips tenderly kissed her closed eyes. She tipped her head toward him and kissed his mouth, the tip of her tongue sneaking out to slip along the seam of his closed lips, a silent invitation that he readily accepted. She deepened the kiss, her tongue now exploring the warm recesses of his mouth while her hands held his head in place. When she slanted her mouth across his, nipping gently at her lower lip, her hands moving to his shoulders to push him down on his back, John didn’t resist, only asked,

“Lindsey, are you sure?”

Moving to straddle his hips, her breath catching as the bare flesh of their groins met, Lindsey nodded and said urgently,

“Yes. I need this. I need to feel normal, to feel safe. I never feel safer than when I’m with you.”

She pulled the t-shirt over her head, then pressed her body against him, making them both groan at the skin on skin contact. Sliding her hands up and down along his sides, she nuzzled into the angle of his jaw, wetting the skin with her tongue, then raising gooseflesh as her warm breath whispered huskily against his ear,

“I want to make love to you. Will you let me?”

John’s hands moved to squeeze her hips as he rumbled an affirmative reply. Lindsey raised her head to smile at him, taking his hands from her with a throaty laugh,

“No. I need you to let me love you tonight. You keep your hands here OK?”

As she spoke, she slipped his hands under the pillow beneath his head. His tiny nod of assent told her that even though he could move them, he wouldn’t. He was giving her full control.

She hummed with pleasure and sinuously undulated herself against him in a full body caress that ripped a soft groan from his chest. Lindsey’s sultry smile was full of promise which was quickly fulfilled as she sat back, sliding her damp folds along his growing erection while her hands moved over her own body. She caught his eyes with a hot glance as her hands stopped to tease her breasts, cupping the full globes from underneath while her thumbs and forefingers plucked and tweaked her nipples into firm nubs.

Feeling his cock grow harder against her, Lindsey licked her lips and arched her hips against him asking,

“Do you like that?” 

Her full lips curved when she saw his arms bulging and flexing as his hands gripped at the pillows, fighting against the urge to touch her.

“Hmmm, I can feel that you do. I love it – can you feel how wet I am for you John? How much I want you?” she murmured, moving her hips against him repeatedly, pleasing them both as his cock slid back and forth between her humid flesh. Lindsey groaned and ground her hips against him when his tip nudged the pulsing button of her clit on each pass. She reached between them to position him at her entrance moaning,

“I can’t wait John. I need you inside me now!” Lindsey sat up onto her knees a bit and then sank down onto him, enveloping his throbbing length in one smooth movement before she braced her hands against his broad chest and began to move up and down, her tight channel squeezing his flesh again and again.

John was struggling to keep his promise not to touch her when she felt so incredible pulsing around him. She was so beautiful in her passion, her tousled curls touching her shoulders as she arched her neck and threw her head back. Her pink tongue peeping out between her lips as she concentrated on the pleasure she was bringing them both. When her hands slid to grip his hips, he grunted at the invitation and thrust up into her. They both gasped at the feeling of the added movement. He was as good as his word, letting Lindsey make love to him, only moving his hips into hers when she gripped him. His cock was still buried deep inside her clenching depths when she collapsed against his chest with a sob moments later.

“I can’t. I’m so tired. Will you help me?” she panted.

John sat up immediately, folding his long legs under her bottom lotus style and twining her legs around his back before he wrapped his muscled arms around her, and pulled her flush against him. 

“Lean against me Lindsey and just breathe,” he purred low in her ear.

Lindsey breathed in and moaned softly as she felt him exhale against her while he rocked his hips into her and then pulled back as he inhaled. She quickly caught the rhythm of his gentle movements and they rocked softly back and forth together, Lindsey clenching herself around him as he pulsed into her. It was a gentle and tender coupling, so different from their frenetic antics on the bathroom counter, but she had never felt closer to him than she did now. Her body convulsed in waves of pleasure when his arms tightened around her and she felt him shudder against her as he came, his mouth opening in a moan against the damp curve of her neck. Lindsey wrapped her arms around his back and wept softly against his shoulder as she released at least portion of the horrors of the day.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lindsey had begun to feel increasingly ill as they sped across the Mediterranean in the rented powerboat, a malaise she had attributed to seasickness. The water was relatively calm, but the motion of the powerful boat was tangible. John had said that it would take them about two hours to arrive at Dhekelia. After having to skirt around a civil uprising in Icel to get to the port earlier, Lindsey had been relieved when they had left the dock and the salt spray had refreshed her face. Now though, as they were slowing to approach the dock in the harbor of the British base, she was anxious to get out of the boat. John had radioed ahead to alert the base of their approach, so there was a small group of uniformed men waiting to help them secure the boat and disembark. John had helped her from the boat and was talking one of the men about transportation to the hospital in Lefkosa, when Lindsey silently doubled over as pain shot through her lower abdomen. She looked down and then called out,

“John....I’m bleeding!”

Turning toward her, he asked with casual concern, “Did you cut yourself on something in the boat luv?”

“No,” she gasped holding up a blood stained hand and gesturing, “I’m bleeding,” she said again as her legs buckled.

John looked in mute horror as he saw the blood staining her white capris at the apex of her thighs.

“Fuck!” he swore rushing to catch her as she crumpled toward the dock.


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> *Trigger Warning: potential pregnancy loss*

For the second time in two days, John Porter was sitting in a helicopter as it transported a woman he loved to hospital. The senior crewman on the boat dock had taken one look at Lindsey’s crumpling form and radioed for assistance. Within minutes a jeep had arrived to take them to the airfield. The driver explained that they would fly Lindsey to Lefkosa for emergency treatment since there was only a clinic on the base and the last British military hospital on the island had closed the year before.  
  
Unlike his trip with Alex, which had been in a military aircraft, he and Lindsey were transported in a civilian air ambulance which had flown from Lefkosa to carry Lindsey back to the hospital. Lindsey came to with a gasp as the EMT started an IV line in her arm. John reached out to take her other hand and leaned close to speak quietly into her ear,  
  
“It’s OK Lindsey. They’re going to help you.”  
  
Lindsey turned her face toward him, some of the panic in her eyes clearing as she clutched his hand and asked,  
  
“Where am I? What happened?”  
  
John squeezed her fingers and replied, “You’re in an air ambulance luv, you collapsed on…”  
  
Before he could finish the sentence she groaned and gripped his hand tightly as a clenching pain seized her abdomen.  
  
“What’s wrong with me John?” Lindsey gasped, pushing away the oxygen mask that the EMT was attempting to secure over her mouth and nose.  
  
Capturing both of her hands in his, his brow wrinkled with concern, John rumbled in her ear,  
  
“I don’t know Lindsey, but you have to let them help you. We’ll be at hospital in a few minutes.”  
  
He continued to hold her hands as her eyelids fluttered closed and she lost consciousness again. Glancing anxiously at the EMT, John was somewhat reassured when he saw that she was unperturbed by this as she secured the oxygen mask and then turned to make notations on a chart before saying to him, “It’s normal.” Normal or not, he was enormously relieved when the air ambulance landed on the same helipad where he had arrived with Alex.  
  
John was directed to a familiar waiting room as the hospital staff bustled Lindsey off to the emergency department for treatment. In deference to the others waiting there, he forced himself to sit and not pace about the small room. Noticing a phone on the table next to his seat, he thought about calling Alex, but quickly decided against it. Until he knew something about Lindsey’s condition, it made no sense to upset Alex.  
  
While he waited, Porter texted Layla to inform her of their arrival in Cyprus. He didn’t go into detail about Lindsey, just stated that he was at the hospital. He would call in later with the details. He flipped idly through a magazine, surfed on his phone, anything to keep his bristling impatience and anxiety in check. He couldn’t help but notice the nervous glances cast his way by a woman sitting across from him. Ordinarily he would have attempted to put her at ease, but his concern for Lindsey trumped such niceties at the moment.   
  
He had been waiting just over 45 minutes when a young woman in blue surgical scrubs and a white lab coat entered the room, looked about and then approached him.  
  
“Mr. Porter?” she asked in a crisp, Oxford accent.  
  
“Yes,” John croaked, clearing his throat as he rose and then repeated more clearly, “Yes, I’m John Porter.”  
  
Ushering him through a door to a private conference room, she introduced herself,  
  
“I’m Dr. Edwards. I’ve been treating Ms. Tate.”  
  
John shook her proffered hand saying absently, “Dr. Tate.”  
  
“Pardon?” she asked.  
  
“She’s  _Dr. Tate_ ,” he replied rubbing his jaw wearily.  
  
“Oh, I’m sorry, she didn’t tell me,” the Dr. Edwards answered.  
  
John shook his head slightly saying, “It’s OK, it doesn’t matter now. How’s Lindsey?”  
  
“Dr. Tate is resting comfortably,” she replied slowly and continued, “We gave her a light sedative to help her relax so that we could treat her.”  
  
“What happened?” John asked urgently. “Why was she bleeding?”  
  
The doctor gestured to a chair as she replied, “We’ve been able to stem the bleeding, but I’m very sorry to tell you that Dr. Tate has suffered a miscarriage.”  
  
John had been moving to sit down but stopped dead and turned sharply to face the doctor.   
  
“A miscarriage?!” he asked sharply. “She was pregnant?!”  
  
“So you didn’t know?” she asked. John shook his head in bewilderment. Concerned by his obvious shock Dr. Edwards responded, “Why don’t we sit down first.” When they were seated she continued,

“It is quite possible that Dr. Tate hadn’t realized yet either…it was early, no more than eight weeks.”  
  
“My God!” John exclaimed running an agitated hand through his hair. “This is my fault – we had a small car accident Sunday evening. I should have left her alone – I was too rough when we…”  
  
Seeing his anguish, Dr. Edwards stopped him with a gentle hand on his arm,  
  
“No.  **NO**.” she said emphatically. “There is absolutely no indication that this miscarriage was caused by any kind of trauma. Very often first trimester miscarriages happen if there is something abnormal with the embryo. I know it’s not much help, but it is quite common. No one is to blame Mr. Porter.” she assured him.  
  
John nodded slowly, processing the information before he asked, “Does Lindsey know?”  
  
“Not yet,” Dr. Edwards shook her head. “She was quite confused and disoriented when I examined her. She’ll be asleep for a couple of hours from the sedative, but as soon as she starts to wake, the nurses will page me.” she said.  
  
“So she’s OK now?” he broke off, not sure if he wanted to know the answer to the question he was about to ask. “Can she still…?” he paused again, looking expectantly at Dr. Edwards.  
  
She smiled warmly as she replied, “Dr. Tate is otherwise a very healthy woman. I’ve found no reason why she wouldn’t be able to conceive and carry a future pregnancy to term.”  
  
“Good, that’s good,” John sighed with relief. He rubbed the back of his neck, looking at the ceiling, lost in thought for a moment before he shook himself mentally, “Sorry – it’s been a rough few days, and this is the last thing t I’d expected to hear.”  
  
“No apologies are necessary – it’s a lot to take in. This is a difficult situation under the best of circumstances, not to mention when traveling abroad,” she said reassuringly. “Would you like to see her? I can take you up on my way to the OB wing.”  
  
“Yeah, that would be great – thanks!” John said as he stood and followed her.  
  
***************  
  
Lindsey woke slowly, raising a hand to her head, which was still rather fuzzy. Comprehension flooded back as she noticed the IV in her hand and remembered collapsing into John’s arms on the boat dock. Sitting up in the bed, she looked around the room and saw John, alerted by her movement, pushing away from where he was leaning on the window sill, to move toward her.  
  
“You’re awake,” he rumbled with a relieved smile, sitting lightly on the edge of the bed and reaching for her hand. “How do you feel?”  
  
Lindsey clasped his hand in hers and replied, “I feel OK – like I was hit by a bus, but OK. What happened?”  
  
John’s mouth opened to answer when there was brief knock before the door opened and a young woman in a lab coat entered.  
  
“Ah good…I was next door and thought I’d check in on you,” she said pleasantly  
  
Lindsey looked from her to John in mild confusion.   
  
“Dr. Edwards,” John said, reaching to shake the doctor’s hand and then shook his head briefly as he continued, “she woke up just now.”  
  
“I see,” Dr. Edwards replied before turning to Lindsey. “We met earlier Dr. Tate. I treated you when the air ambulance brought you in.” Taking Lindsey’s chart, she looked it over briefly before pulling up a chair next to the bed as Lindsey said,  
  
“I remember you now, but I don’t remember much else very clearly. What happened? Why was I bleeding? Was it from the accident?”  
  
Dr. Edwards shook her head slowly, “No, there was no sign of any trauma. There is no easy way to tell you this, as I told Mr. Porter. I’m sorry Dr. Tate, but you suffered a miscarriage.”  
  
“A miscarriage?” Lindsey repeated, her brow furrowed as she registered what the doctor had said. “No, that must be a mistake – I couldn’t be pregnant. I have an IUD,” she said.  
  
“Yes,” Dr. Edwards confirmed, “we received your medical records a short time ago, and I noted that you had an implant. It doesn’t happen often, but sometimes they do dislodge and are ejected. I’d estimate that you were at about 8 weeks, so you probably lost the implant a few weeks to a month before that.”  
  
Lindsey looked to John, who looked concerned, but not surprised. “You’ve already heard this?” she asked, reaching for his hand again.  
  
He nodded, taking her hand, “Yeah, Dr. Edwards told me while you were sleeping. Are you OK?”  
  
There was a silent pause as Lindsey looked from the doctor to John then back to the doctor. “I guess so,” she replied musingly. “How could I not know that I was pregnant,” she wondered aloud.  
  
“A lot of women don’t have many early symptoms,” Dr. Edwards replied. “Thinking you were protected, you may have attributed any mild morning sickness or fatigue to stress, or a virus.”  
  
 _That would explain the nausea and the fatigue the last few weeks_ , Lindsey thought as the doctor continued,  
  
“It’s quite likely that you conceived before ever having a period after losing the implant.” Seeing the question dawning on Lindsey face she went on, “As I told Mr. Porter earlier, there is no sign of any trauma. I know that it’s small comfort at a time like this, but sometimes a miscarriage is a natural corrective process if there is a problem with the embryo. There is nothing that you could or should have done differently. There’s also no reason to believe that you won’t be able to conceive and carry to term in the future if you choose.”  
  
Lindsey nodded, squeezing John’s hand as she replied, “Thank you Dr. Edwards. I don’t really know where to start. I’m sorry…”  
  
“There’s nothing to apologize for Dr. Tate. Clearly, this has been a shock to both of you,” Dr. Edwards assured her. She looked to John and then Lindsey as she continued, “I’ll leave you to settle in, but I’ll give instructions to the nurses that they should page me if you have any questions. I’m on call the next 48 hours, so don’t hesitate OK?”  
  
“OK,” Lindsey said. “Thanks again.”  
  
Dr. Edwards smiled. “It’s no problem. I’ll be back in to check on you later – try to get some rest,” she said as she rose to leave. She nodded to John as she turned and left, closing the door silently behind her.  
  
John looked to Lindsey again and repeated, “Are you OK?”  
  
Lindsey gave him a small, sad smile, “I guess so…are you?”  
  
“I guess so,” he repeated. “but I’ve had a few hours to get over the surprise.”  
  
“Would you mind climbing in here and holding me?” Lindsey asked patting the bed beside her.   
  
“Sure thing,” John said, kicking off his shoes. They maneuvered around the cords and tubing that connected Lindsey to the IV and monitors so that they could spoon together on the narrow bed.  
  
“I don’t even know what to think right now, and I’m still so tired,” she sighed, melting back against him.

“Whatever you think is OK Lindsey…It’s a lot to process. Go to sleep luv,” John murmured in her ear, easing his arms around her middle.   
  
Lindsey crossed her arms across his, hugging him to her, soaking in the love and comfort that radiated from his solid weight behind her. A single tear slipped down her cheek as exhaustion claimed her.


	21. Chapter 21

John held Lindsey close. He could feel the change in her breathing and how her body relaxed heavily against him as the residual effects of the miscarriage and drugs deepened her sleep. It was sometime later when she shifted, trying to roll over in her sleep that John eased from the bed and tucked the covers around her. Finding a pad of paper in the bedside table, he left a note, in case Lindsey woke before he returned, telling her that he had gone to look in on Alex and that she should call his mobile if she needed him. He folded the note and left it, secured with the call buzzer, on the table and then silently left Lindsey alone to rest.

Alex’s room was on the opposite end of the same floor as Lindsey’s. As he made his way down the long hall, his immediate focus shifted from Lindsey to Alex. While he’d waited for Lindsey earlier, he’d checked with the nurses who’d assured him that Alex was resting comfortably, but he’d feel much better once he saw her himself. Her door was partially open when he approached, so he knocked briefly and walked in. What he saw put his mind greatly at ease.  
  
Alex was sitting up in the bed, talking animatedly on the telephone. She smiled widely when she saw him in the doorway, holding up one finger as she spoke into the phone,  
  
“Dad just walked in! I’ll see you tomorrow? ….OK, great!” She rang off the phone and holding out her arms exclaimed, “God Dad! I’m so glad to see you!”  
  
John moved to bed and wrapped her slender form in a firm, but gentle embrace.  
  
“How are you feeling sweetheart,” he rumbled, stroking her hair lightly before he moved away to pull a chair up beside the bed.  
  
“I’m feeling much better – they’re going to let me go tomorrow,” she said, waving a hand dismissively and continued, “What took you so long, and where is Lindsey?!”  
  
John sighed deeply, running an agitated hand through his dark hair as he quickly considered how much to tell Alex about the past 24 hours.   
  
“We ran into a couple of snags before we could leave Turkey this morning,” he replied vaguely.  
  
Alex’s blue eyes narrowed slightly. “OK,” she said slowly, “but where’s Lindsey? She’s OK isn’t she? Dad!?” her voice rose with increasing concern at his silence.  
  
John grimaced. He had no idea how to tell Alex about Lindsey and finally he just blurted out, “She’s in a room down the hall – she had a miscarriage.”  
  
Alex’s mouth dropped open and then slowly closed as she blinked at him and whispered,  
  
“A miscarriage? I didn’t know she was….,” she broke of, a blush staining her cheeks beneath her golden tan. Shaking her head briefly, Alex controlled her surprise and took John’s hand saying sincerely, “I’m so sorry Dad! Is she OK?”  
  
John squeezed her fingers gratefully, amazed at the difference between the resilient, mature young woman before him and the resentful and angry girl his daughter had been, as he answered,  
  
Yeah, she’s sleeping now. The doctor says she’s fine, but it was quite a shock,” he paused, shrugging lamely and looked down saying, “She didn’t…. _ **we**_ didn’t know…”  
  
Seeing his discomfort, Alex squeezed back on his strong hand, “It’s OK Dad…you don’t have to explain anything to  _me_.”  
  
John raised his head and looked into Alex’s eyes, eyes so much like his own, and saw no anger or recrimination there. He saw only tears of sympathy and concern welling in the clear blue depths. He cleared a lump from his throat and took both her hands in his,  
  
“I just want to you know that I would  _never_  keep something like that from you – neither would Lindsey. If Lindsey and I ever have a baby, it won’t change how much I love you Alex,” he said, his deep voice gravelly with emotion.  
  
Alex nodded, sniffling and wiping tears from her cheeks as she replied, “I know that Dad. I love you too, and I love Lindsey. I want you both to be happy.” She paused a moment before going on with a growing smile, “If there’s a baby someday….I think I’d really like to be a big sister!”  
  
John rose up and pulled her into a tight hug. When he returned to his chair a few moments later, they were both smiling and wiping their eyes. Clearing his throat again John asked,  
  
“So, who will you see tomorrow?”  
  
Alex looked at him, momentarily confused by the abrupt change of subject. Seeing her confusion, John clarified, “On the phone…you said you’d see someone tomorrow.”  
  
“Oh right,” Alex nodded, sitting back against pillows. “Max is flying in. The doctor says I can leave hospital tomorrow, but that I shouldn’t fly home for a week, so Max is coming to lie around on the beach with me while I ‘recuperate.’ Any idea where we can stay?”  
  
John digested this new information. Although he wanted nothing more than to go home, it would probably be best not to put Lindsey immediately on a plane either, he thought before he replied,  
  
“Not off hand, but I’ll ask around. Maybe we can find a beach house or something to rent.”  
  
John was still speaking when a nurse came in to take Alex’s vital signs. He recognized her as the same nurse who he’d talked to when Alex was first admitted. She introduced herself as Selin.  
  
As she recorded Alex’s temperature she said, “I’m sorry, I couldn’t help but overhear…you are looking for a house to let?”  
  
She smiled as both John and Alex nodded.  
  
“My uncle has a house near Larnaca. He was just telling us last evening that the people who’d taken it for the month cancelled and he has not been able to let it again on such short notice.”  
  
Selin paused, as she took Alex’s pulse. Once she’d recorded the number she continued, “It’s a three bedroom, two bath house, only five years old, with a pool, near the beach…”  
  
John interrupted her, “If it’s still available, we’ll take it.”  
  
“You don’t want to know the cost first?” she asked, wrapping a blood pressure cuff around Alex’s upper arm.  
  
John shook his head, “No. I’m sure your uncle will be fair,” he assured her. This was one occasion when he was very glad that price was of little concern. He was happy to pay five times the going rate to have their accommodations settled so easily.  
  
Selin shrugged and nodded saying, “I will ring him as soon as I’ve finished here.” She inflated the cuff, took the reading and when she had recorded the number asked, “May I use your telephone?”  
  
Alex nodded, pushing the room phone across the table to her. Selin dialed and after a brief conversation in Turkish, she switched to English so Alex and John could understand that her uncle’s house was available and that he was happy to let it to them for a week at the standard rate. He even offered to stock it with groceries for a small fee. John gave an internal sigh of relief to have at least one thing settled.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
When Lindsey woke again, the sun had set and John was talking quietly on his mobile in the corner of the room. While Lindsey slept, he had met with Selin’s uncle and received the keys to the house. It was available for him immediately, but he was determined to stay in the hospital while both Lindsey and Alex were there. He’d also contacted a rental car agency and arranged to have a car delivered to the hospital.  Unable to avoid it any longer he’d finally called Layla. John explained the situation as it stood and learned that Layla would arrive in Cyprus the next morning to manage the situation personally since she’d been in touch with the American authorities throughout.   
  
“I’m so sorry Porter. I’d not impose on Lindsey at such a time if it was at all avoidable,” Layla apologized earnestly. “But given the connection to Arlington, the sooner we can get this sorted with the Americans, the sooner Lindsey will be able to put it all behind her.”  
  
“I've got it Layla, but this isn't just any debriefing. If either Alex or Lindsey is at all unable to continue, I’m pulling the plug,” John insisted  
  
“Understood,” Layla agreed. “Porter, I've been in contact with the American forces in Turkey to communicate that Lindsey and Alex are in your custody. They are releasing the personal effects from Lindsey’s car. The American officer who will be with me to debrief Lindsey and Alex tomorrow will deliver them.”  
  
“Thanks Layla. I’m sure Lindsey will be relieved to have her computer and all of her data back. She hasn't mentioned it yet, but it will occur to her sooner or later,” John said dryly. “I’ll see you around midday tomorrow”  
  
“Sounds good. Give my best to Lindsey and Alex Porter,” Layla said before she rang off.  
  
“Who will you see tomorrow?”  
  
Hearing Lindsey’s sleepy question, John turned to her and said, “Go back to sleep luv, we’ll talk about it later.”  
  
Lindsey groaned lightly as she sat up in the bed,   
  
“Ugh, I feel like I’ve done nothing but sleep…besides, I’m starving – have you eaten?” Lindsey said as she pressed the button to call someone to ask about dinner. “Now, who is coming tomorrow?”  
  
John held up the remains of a sandwich he’d been eating and replied, “Sorry I didn’t wait for you. I was talking to Layla. She is flying in tomorrow to liaison with the Americans. She’d like to debrief you and Alex – do you think you’re up to it?”  
  
Lindsey grimaced lightly, “I’d rather never talk about any of it again, but since that’s impossible, I’d rather just get it over with.”  
  
John pulled his chair to the bed and took her hand, “Layla will be as brief as she can be, and she’ll make sure the Americans are too.” Seeing Lindsey’s questioning frown he continued, “There will be an American officer with her as well, given the whole Arlington connection. Don’t worry luv. I’ll be here. I told you, I’m not letting you out of my sight again!”  
  
Lindsey was about to reply when a nurse came in to answer her call. Fifteen minutes later, she was eating a light dinner as John explained the situation with Alex, the house and his intention to sleep in the chair in the corner of her room for the night.  
  
Lindsey set down the yogurt she was eating and said, “Don’t be silly…you must be exhausted! You should go back to the house and get a good night’s sleep. There is no reason for you to be cramped up in the corner watching me drool in my sleep John.”  
  
When he began a grumbled refusal she cut him off, “Seriously, I love that you want to take care of me, but I’ll be fine for the night. Besides, you really need some sleep and a shower…you look like hell! Go to the house - that’s an order sergeant” she said with a grin.  
  
A slow grin spread across his face as he saw a bit of sparkle return to eclipse some of the sadness in her green eyes. “Yes ma’am,” he said with a smart salute.  
  
~~~~~~  
  
It was nearing noon when John stepped off the hospital elevator. He had fallen across the bed the previous night and was asleep before he’d been able to force himself to shower. When he woke at 08:00 he’d called Lindsey who’d assured him that she was fine and that he should “not dare show his face at the hospital before 11:00 since she was being subjected to a battery of precautionary tests anyway.” Taking her at her word, he’d laundered his clothes, made himself a huge breakfast, and taken a leisurely shower before climbing into the rental car to head back to the hospital.   
  
As he walked down the hall, John saw Layla, accompanied by an American naval officer, standing near the nurses’ station. Layla introduced the American as Lt. Commander Tom Korres, a Navy Seal attached to the Department of Defense. John and Cmdr. Korres exchanged pleasantries before John said,  
  
“I’ve only just arrived. Give me a minute to check in with Lindsey will you?”  
  
Layla nodded, “Of course Porter.”  
  
Layla and Commander Korres waited in the hall until Porter poked his head out the door and said,   
  
“She’s ready,” before he turned to stand next to Lindsey’s bed.  
  
Layla entered and spoke briefly with Lindsey, who she’d met on several previous occasions, before she gestured to the man hidden behind the door and said,  
  
“Dr. Lindsey Tate, I’d like to introduce my colleague Lt. Cmdr. Tom Korres of the U.S. Navy.  
  
Lt. Cmdr. Korres stepped into the room and said in Arabic,  
  
 _“It’s a pleasure to finally be properly introduced Dr. Tate.”_  
  
John flinched when Lindsey’s fingernails dug into his forearm as she replied in Arabic,  
  
 _“I’m sure that the pleasure is all yours Commander Korres,”_ before switching to English to ask, “or should I call you ABDUL?!”

  
 


	22. Chapter 22

“I knew you could speak Arabic!” Korres replied with a grin, this time speaking English with a distinctly southern American accent.  
  
John looked from Korres to Lindsey. Her green eyes looked unnaturally bright in her pale face, her jaw was clenched, her eyes narrowed. The combination of her tense facial expression and the death grip she had on his arm compelled him to lean down and growl quietly near her ear,  
  
“Abdul?” Lindsey’s brief nod confirmed his suspicion of just who Lt. Cmdr. Korres actually was. He turned angrily to Layla and ground out,   
  
“Dammit Layla, do you know who this is?”  
  
Her briefly lowered eyes spoke volumes before she took a step forward and began apologetically, “Porter…I.”

  
“No!” John bit out and started toward Korres, stopping short when Lindsey squeezed his arm and said quietly,   
  
“John wait…I want to hear what he has to say.” Porter fought to master the urge to pummel the American into the wall.   
Watching the muscle in his jaw tick repeatedly, Lindsey lightly stroked her fingers along his muscled forearm and whispered one agonized word. “Please?!”  
  
John nodded almost imperceptibly as he covered Lindsey’s fingers on his arm with his other hand. He sat down on the edge of the bed, running his thumb in soothing circles around the back of her hand as Korres stepped fully into the room and Layla quietly closed the door behind him.  
  
“What, exactly, is going on here?” Lindsey asked calmly, threading her icy fingers through John’s warm ones for support. “Why did an American naval officer take two unarmed civilians hostage?”  
  
“May I sit?” Cmdr. Korres asked, gesturing to a chair near the wall. When Lindsey nodded, he sat down and removed his cover, placing it on his lap as he spoke.  
  
“As I told you at the house, you and Miss Porter stumbled on something you weren’t supposed to see. To keep you both safe, I had to keep you with me.” John bristled as Korres spoke, but sat still next to Lindsey as she replied,  
  
“I still don’t understand. What were you three doing in that olive grove?”  
  
“I have to backtrack a bit to explain that,” Korres answered. “I was assigned by the Joint Chiefs and the Department of Defense to investigate the unsanctioned use of civilian defense contractors in military intelligence operations.”  
  
“Like Blackwater?” Lindsey asked. When Korres nodded and replied, “Similar,” Lindsey looked to John who only shrugged. His assessment of the situation had been dead on so far. She returned her gaze to Korres as he continued.   
  
“In this case, it was fiber optic cable taps being laid to intercept transmissions between Incirlik and the Patriot missile installation at Gaziantep. The DoD wanted to know who was responsible and who had hired them, so I went undercover as a contractor."

"Then Alex and I drove up and ‘caught you in the act’” Lindsey asked?  
  
“Yes,” Korres said and then clarified, “Well, you caught ‘Akim’ and ‘Ali’ in the act of placing the dummy taps I’d given them.”  
  
“Why didn’t you just let us go?” Lindsey asked. It was a question whose answer was obvious to everyone in the room but her.  
  
Korres patiently explained, “I couldn’t. I was undercover, but those two were the real deal. If I had let you go, they’d have known something was up. The mission would have been blown and you two would have had targets on your backs. I had no choice but to take you to keep you safe,” he concluded, looking from Lindsey to John.   
  
Lindsey followed his gaze. When she caught John’s eye she saw the truth. For the first time, she realized just how close she had come to being killed. Both Cmdr. Korres and John looked at her in concern as she blanched, swallowing hard before she nodded her head briefly and said, “I’m OK…go on.”  
  
As he looked from Lindsey to John, who he knew only by his reputation as an SAS and MI-6 operative, Korres caught the unguarded look of tender care that John directed at Lindsey. Looking away briefly, he cleared his throat before going on,  
  
“Ah…yeah. The plan was to keep you with me until we were due from extraction. It was when I found out who you were that things got complicated.” Looking to John he continued, “I remembered your name from that Sharq dust up with Arlington a few years back.   
  
At this revelation, John cocked his head and sat forward as Korres continued  
  
“The DoD had suspected that Arlington was dabbling in subcontracts before he was ousted from the CIA. Apparently when he jumped bail and dropped off the radar after the shitstorm with you and Sharq, he took it up full time.”  
  
“What does any of this have to do with Lindsey and Alex?” Porter rumbled dangerously.  
  
“It has nothing to do with them, but everything to do with  ** _you_  **SGT. Porter,” Korres replied easily. “Arlington was never quiet about his beef with you. We knew he was neck deep in these unauthorized contracts, but we’ve never been able to draw him out. I figured that you would come to find your women – with our without official authorization.” He paused a moment and looked briefly at Layla and then back to John before continuing. “I was banking on the fact that Arlington would make the same assumption when he got the intel I fed him. Basically, he would come for you when you came for them.”  
  
"So you used two innocent women as bait for a murderer?!” John growled, his entire body tensing.  
  
Korres noted the calming hand that Lindsey laid on Porter’s thigh, and how he relaxed subtly under her touch before resuming,  
  
“Not exactly. He was never supposed to get anywhere near any of you. Once Akim and Ali were gone, I planned to move Dr. Tate and Miss Porter to a safe place and leave word for the search teams to find them. That plan went south when you found them so fast…how did you find them so fast anyway? My crumb trail should have taken you days to exhaust.”   
  
Before Porter could speak, Layla said bluntly, “That’s proprietary information Commander.”  
  
Looking from Layla’s implacable face to Porter’s grim smile and raised eyebrow, Korres nodded and laughed briefly,   
  
“Fair enough,” he said. “In any case I was on my way back to move them when I saw you all coming back out of the house and driving off. I found ‘Ali’s’ truck and the wrecked SUV, so I’d guess you had some trouble?   
  
Lindsey nodded, “He found me there before John could come back for me.”  
  
“It was just epic bad luck that you stumbled on our rendezvous point. True to form, Arlington was in the process of trying to pull a fast one. He showed up at the meet point hours ahead of schedule. I rolled up a bit early to find that the party had started…and finished…without me. Fortunately, Arlington’s arrogance was limitless. He was carrying a thumb drive with enough incriminating material to blow his little corner of illegal contracts wide open. Win-Win for the U.S.,” Korres concluded.  
  
Lindsey looked down and asked quietly, “Are you going to arrest us?” She looked to John when he eased an arm around her shoulders with a brief shake of his head.  
  
Korres didn’t miss this, but assured her, “Dr. Tate, as far as the United States is concerned, Frank Arlington and his minions were criminals in a very dangerous business. A business that turned out to be fatal for them. The Turkish authorities will investigate, but as is usual in cases like this, there is no evidence to indicate who was involved.”  
  
Lindsey looked to Layla, and then to John whose carefully blank faces told her that this was not an unexpected response. Lindsey decided that she now knew a great deal more about the world espionage and covert military operations than she  _ever_  needed to know. She looked to John again and wondered how he had survived in that world as long as he had. His blue eyes communicated to her that he would answer any questions that she had, and for now, that was enough. Lindsey turned back and said to Korres,  
  
“I see. Do you need any more information from me?”  
  
“No Dr. Tate. In fact, I will leave it to Captain Thompson to debrief Miss Porter. I think it will be better for all concerned that my presence not upset her,” Cmdr. Korres said.  
  
“I think that would be best,” Layla agreed. “Thank you for talking with us Lindsey. I’m so sorry to have been forced to intrude on you. If you need anything at all when you return to England, please don’t hesitate to contact me.”  
  
“Thank you Layla, I appreciate your concern, but if you both wouldn’t mind, I’m kind of tired now…” Lindsey said.  
  
“Of course,” Layla replied. As she turned to the door, Cmdr. Korres rose, donning his hat. As he reached the door he turned back to Lindsey and said,  
  
“I am sorry for all of the trouble this has caused you Dr. Tate. Whether you know it or not, you’ve done a tremendous service to the U.S. Government. It was a pleasure to have met you – I only wish it could have been under… _different_ …circumstances.”  
  
Lindsey forced a polite smile, “Thank you Cmdr. Korres, I appreciate you taking the time to explain the situation to us…and for keep Alex and me safe.”  
  
“Ma’am,” Korres nodded to her and walked out the door.  
  
“Porter,” Layla began. John caught her eye and nodded saying,  
  
“I’ll be with you in a few minutes so we can talk to Alex.” Layla agreed and followed Korres out the door.  
  
“Well, that was certainly  _interesting_ ,” Lindsey said slowly and then yawned.   
  
“Hmmm. I have to say, it’s a huge relief not having to wonder what Arlington is up to anymore,” John said. “Are you OK luv? It’s a lot of absorb.”  
  
Lindsey sighed, “It’s almost surreal…like a Bond movie or something, but I’m fine. Just tired. Why don’t you go ahead and take Layla to see Alex. I’ll take a nap and we can have lunch later,” she said, nudging him gently off the bed so she could lay back.  
  
OK, OK, I can take a hint, I’m going,” John said kissing her forehead as he turned to follow Layla.  
  
~~~~~~~~  
  
Layla and Lt. Commander Korres were talking quietly in the hall when John came out of Lindsey’s room. John approached them and asked Korres politely,  
  
“I understand from Layla that you have Lindsey and Alex’s things?”  
  
Korres nodded briefly, somewhat surprised that John seemed to harbor no lingering anger over what had gone down. “I do…I can have them sent to wherever you are staying.”  
  
“Nah,” Porter waved a hand dismissively. “You’re here, I’m here…you can just give them to me now and I’ll throw them in the car. I’m taking Alex home soon." he paused and turned to Layla. “In fact, why don’t you stop out to the house to talk to Alex over dinner. She’ll be more comfortable there…say 19:00? I'll send you the direction.” John said.  
  
Both Layla and Korres agreed and the three of them proceeded to the parking structure. Layla had driven off as John followed Korres to his vehicle to retrieve Lindsey and Alex’s things. When they had stowed them in John’s car Korres said,

“Well, that’s about it I guess.”  
  
Porter straightened and said, “There’s just one more thing…” right before he snapped Korres’ head back with a vicious right cross to the jaw. “That’s for believing it was OK to even  ** _think_**  about using my family as bait!”   
  
As Korres shook off the cobwebs from the blow, John held out the same right hand and said, “But thanks for keeping them safe, I’m in your debt mate!”  
  
“I’ll keep that in mind Porter,” Korres said smiling slowly as he took John’s proffered hand and shook it firmly. "Take good care of Dr. Tate, I really wish this could have gone down differently," Korres said sincerely.  
  
Porter nodded replying, "I plan to. I'm not letting her out of my sight again...she thinks I was kidding."  
  
Korres shook his head with a smile, "Good luck with that man. I don't blame you though, women like her don't come along everyday."  
  
"Yeah, and I plan to keep her,". Porter's answering smile conveyed a none too subtle warning that Korres acknowledged with a brief tip of his chin before he got into his car and drove off.


	23. Chapter 23

After talking with Alex’s doctor and Lindsey, the plan was to stay at the rented beach house for two weeks, to give both Lindsey and Alex time to rest and recuperate before flying home to England.   Two days after the interview with Layla and Korres, John had brought Lindsey to join Alex, Max and him at the house.  They had all seemed to settle in easily.  Maybe a bit too easily.  Porter was worried.  Not so much about Alex, since she seemed to be on the mend as she and Max spent lazy days at the beach or lounging by the pool.  No, Alex was fine, but John was increasingly concerned about Lindsey.  As Dr. Edwards had predicted when she gave them Lindsey’s discharge instructions, physically, Lindsey was recovering well, but the emotional loss could take much longer to heal.

It was precisely Lindsey’s emotional state that had John concerned.  He would have welcomed her tears, or any other sign of her grief, but other than an occasional glimpse of the sadness lurking in her eyes, Lindsey acted as if nothing had happened.  She followed the doctor’s orders to take it easy and resume normal activities as she was able.  She kept cheerfully busy.  She’d been delighted to find that her computer had not been damaged, and used it to check in with the excavation director and to continue her analysis of the material unearthed.  Lindsey also contacted the Reading to touch base on the schedule for the fall term, which she fully intended to be ready for.  She took advantage of the local open air markets to purchase fresh seafood and produce and cooked amazing meals for the household on many occasions.  All in all, if one didn’t know better, Lindsey appeared to be perfectly happy.

John did know better.  If he thought that Lindsey had truly been able to put the loss of the pregnancy behind her so quickly, he would have been grateful, but he could see clear signs that however much she wanted to appear OK, she wasn’t.  Although she cooked delicious meals, John had noticed that she only really ate if some one was watching her.  He might have been relieved that she’d had no more nightmares, but he was convinced that this was only true because she rarely slept.  Dr. Edwards had advised them to abstain from intercourse until Lindsey’s body had fully recovered from the miscarriage, but each night they went to bed and Lindsey seemed relieved to nestle into John’s sheltering embrace.  Several times though, he’d woken in the middle of the night, his arms empty, to find her in another room reading or working or just staring into the darkness.  At his gentle urging, she would often come back to bed, but she slept little if at all.

John was at a loss.  He wanted to give Lindsey as much time and space as she needed to come to terms with all that she’d been through, but she was losing weight and the lack of sleep was beginning to take its toll on her.  After a week, John was worried enough to call Dr. Edwards at the hospital in Lefkosa, leaving a message for her to call him back.  Luckily, Lindsey was in the shower when her call rang on his mobile.

“Hello,” he answered.

“Hello Mr. Porter, it’s Emily Edwards calling.   How are you holding up?” the doctor asked.

“I’m OK, but I’m worried about Lindsey,” John’s deep voice broke slightly as he described the past week of Lindsey’s recovery, answering the questions Dr. Edwards asked before she replied,

“I understand your concerns, and if Dr. Tate’s lack of appetite and sleeplessness continue past the point of your return to England, I’d recommend that she follow up with her regular OB-GYN.  It sounds to me like she is still stuck in a bit of denial about the loss – it’s quite a common response in her situation.  For right now, let her know that you’re there for her whenever she’s ready, but give her some time.”

John ran a hand from his forehead back through his hair as he rumbled in reply, “I’ve got whatever time she needs” he paused and then continued, “I just feel powerless to help her.”

“Don’t worry Mr. Porter.   Dr. Tate strikes me as a very strong woman.  She’ll come to terms with the loss.  You _are_ helping her by being patient, but being there for her,” Dr. Edwards assured him.  “Don’t hesitate to contact me if anything changes.”

John ended the call and had slipped the phone back in his pocket when Lindsey, showered and dressed came out of the bedroom and asked brightly,

“How about a little road trip today?”

Lindsey’s “road trip” turned out to be a visit to the site of ancient Paphos.  The site was little more than an hour away by car, but John wasn’t sure it was a good idea.

“Don’t you think that might be a bit much?” he asked her, his brow wrinkling with concern.

Lindsey kissed him lightly, smoothing the crinkles from his forehead as she said,

“I’ve never been to Paphos, and we’re so close, it would be a shame to miss it.  I promise not to over do it.”

John was no match for the eager look of excitement on her face.  He was game for about anything that could chase the lingering sadness from her eyes for a while.

“OK, OK,” he laughed.  “We’ll go, but no climbing or…”  Lindsey broke in

“I swear,” she said, holding up a hand as if taking an oath.  “When did you become such an old fuddy duddy?” she asked with a grin.

John only snorted softly as he walked away toward the bedroom to change.

“Hey John,” Lindsey called after him.  She waited until he looked back at her before continuing, “For an old fuddy duddy, you’ve got a great ass!”

He grinned back at here, shaking his head as he continued into the bedroom.

~~~~~~

The two of them had spent the day exploring the ancient city.  They’d wandered through the remains for hours, and true to her word, Lindsey didn’t over exert herself, resting often.   As they walked through private villas, she stopped to closely examine the Roman mosaics that were still in place, and later, found a place to sit in the shade as they made their way through the Temple of Aphrodite, which was a sacred place a thousand years before the time of Socrates and Plato.  By the end of the day though, John could see that she was tiring.  Determined to be patient, he offered her his arm for support, but said nothing as her tired legs stumbled a bit as they were leaving the theater. 

He hummed in relieved agreement when Lindsey stopped outside the theater, in the shade of an olive tree, to take a drink from her water bottle and sigh,

“I think I’ve had enough for today – are you good to go?”

She leaned lightly against him as they walked arm in arm back to the car.  By the time John had pulled the car onto the main road that led back to the beach house, Lindsey had fallen asleep, her head leaning against the window.  She woke an hour later as John pulled the car to a stop in front of the rented house.  She yawned and stretched, turning to John with a sheepish smile,

“Sorry I passed out on you…I guess I needed a nap.  What time is it?”

John was about to reply when Lindsey’s mobile phone chimed the tone for an incoming text message.  She pulled it out and read the message before remarking to John,

“Looks like it’s just you and me for dinner – Alex and Max are staying in Lefkosa.  Dinner in OK with you?” she asked, yawning again.

 “Sure luv, its fine,” John replied before continuing, his voice deepening with concern, “How are you Lindsey?”

“What?” Looking up from the reply she’d been typing to Alex she registered his question and replied, “I’m fine – I was just a little tired from the exercise today.”

John reached for his hand and gently insisted, “No, I mean HOW ARE YOU…with all that has happened, _how are you_?”

A cloud descended over Lindsey’s face, shading the sparkle that had returned to her green eyes,

“I’m fine,” she replied dully.

“But…” when John began to speak again, she turned and reached for the door handle snapping,

“I said I’M FINE!  Can we just drop it please!”  She jumped out of the car, slamming the door behind her and stalked into the house.  John collected all of their things from the car and followed her inside.  He found her in the kitchen, looking in the refrigerator for something to cook for dinner.

“Lindsey, I,” John saw her stiffen at the sound of his voice and stopped speaking as she turned to look at him.

“Is salad and grilled chicken OK for dinner?” she asked blandly.

John waved a dismissive hand, “Yeah, whatever is fine.  Listen luv, I didn’t mean to upset you,” he saw her jaw tighten but went on, “I just want you to know that I’m here if you need me…to talk, to listen..about anything.”

Not able to meet his eye, Lindsey turned back to the refrigerator and said emphatically,

“I appreciate that John, but I’m fine OK?  I’m FINE.”

John sighed and replied softly, “OK” before he left the kitchen thinking that he was really beginning to hate the phrase “I’m fine.”

Determined to heed Dr. Edward’s advice and not push Lindsey too hard, but needing to burn off some steam, John had finally changed and gone for a run on the beach after Lindsey had searched him out to tell him that she’d changed her mind and they should just go out to dinner later before leaving him to his own devices while she retreated to the bedroom to “work for a while.”

He’d run along the beach until his muscled legs were burning from the effort, stopping to stretch for a few minutes before turning back.  The sun was setting when he entered the house.  He expected to find Lindsey reading or working in the lounge, where the light was better, but the front of the house was dark when he walked in.  Walking from room to room, he was mildly concerned when he didn’t find her in the bedroom or out by the pool.  He was retrieving his phone to check if Alex had spoken with her when he heard a muffled sound.  Following the noise, he found Lindsey, huddled in the corner of the small laundry room, a pile of clothes in her lap, shaking as sobs wracked her body.

John rushed forward and crouched down beside her rumbling,

“Lindsey, what happened sweetheart?  Are you OK?”

Lindsey looked up at him briefly, tears streaming down her cheeks before she shook her head and looked away, sobbing harder.

John sat down on the floor next to her and pulled her onto his lap, wrapping his strong arms around her and stroking her hair and her back until her sobs began to subside, all the while murmuring soothingly,

“It’ll be OK …everything will be OK.”

When her sobs had calmed to an occasional trembling sniffle he leaned back and asked,

“Can you tell me why you were crying?”

“I found these pants,” Lindsey replied, holding up a pair of olive green cargo pants from her lap.

Confused, he repeated, “You found those pants?”

“I found these pants and remembered that I couldn’t button them the last time I put them on – I thought that I’d shrunk them in the laundry, but…”she paused looking up with tear filled eyes as she went on in a rapid stream of question, “How could I not know that I was pregnant?  How can I be so upset about losing a baby I didn’t even know was there?”

Before he could answer she gulped and sobbed, “And how will you ever be able to forgive me for killing our baby?!”

John’s heart contracted as she spoke, and his face softened to an expression of tender concern.  He’d known that she was hurting but now he realized that her grief was compounded tenfold by a sense of guilt.   Knowing her as he did, he was mentally kicking himself that he’d not seen it before, but then, he was also trying to come to terms with the shock and the loss.  Reading his silence as confirmation of her fears, Lindsey moved to climb out of his lap, but John gently tightened his arms to keep her close saying softly,

“It’s not your fault Lindsey.  You didn’t kill the baby.”

She shook her head, taking a shaking breath and insisted brokenly, “But I did.  If I’d only..”

John cupped her cheek in one broad hand and tipped her face up to look deep into her eyes, his voice gravelly with emotion as he interrupted her,

“No!  Listen to me Lindsey – none of this is your fault.  You heard the doctor sweetheart, this would most like of happened even if you’d been at home in Reading.  You didn’t do ANYTHING wrong.  Do you understand me?”  he asked urgently.

Lindsey looked into his eyes and saw that he meant every word that he’d said.  Her eyes fluttered closed and she nodded slowly, whispering,

“I understand, but it was our baby and now it’s gone, and there might never be another,” She leaned her head into his hand, tears slipping from her closed eyes and rolling silently down her cheeks.

John swallowed, half afraid to hear her answer, but asked quietly,

“Do you want to have children Lindsey?”

She slipped her arms around his back and nestled close, drawing energy from his solid strength as she shrugged and replied,

“I always thought so.  Tom and I had planned to, but there was school and dissertations, and then the accident…”  she paused briefly, her eyes following her fingers as they moved to trace along his jaw before she raised them to his and went on,

“Then I met you, but you already had Alex, and we never talked about it…is it something we could talk about John?” she asked hopefully.

John raised his other hand to bracket her face between his palms as he kissed her softly, and then nodded, one corner of his mouth curving into a tiny smile before he replied,

“It’s definitely something we can talk about luv. Definitely."


	24. Chapter 24

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new beginning?

It had been unusually hot the past week, even for late summer. Lindsey sighed as she entered the cool darkness of her house in Shinfield, bending to scratch Sherman behind his ears. As he twined between her ankles, she closed the door saying conversationally,  
  
“I certainly hope it cools down before the Autumn term starts next month….a day like this would be brutal in the classroom.”  Sherman only purred in response.  
  
Lindsey tossed her keys and bag onto the counter as she walked through the kitchen, kicking off her sandals while she pulled a pitcher of iced tea from the refrigerator. Taking a glass from the cabinet, she smiled thoughtfully at the tea kettle where it sat, unmolested, on the counter. John had been commuting daily between Shinfield and London since they’d returned from Cyprus a month ago. Initially, he’d been hesitant to leave her alone at all, proposing to work from the house. Lindsey had replied that she could manage if they returned to their regular work week routine, but John had insisted and eventually they’d compromised on his commuting. She hadn’t had the heart to make him search out the kettle every day when his work day was already so long. Although now, she wondered as she picked up the kettle and stashed it away, if a return to some playful normalcy wasn't just what they needed.  
  
Lindsey was finally feeling a lot better. She was still shaken by all that had happened, and definitely still saddened by the loss of her pregnancy, but she was making peace with it and looking to the future. Settling herself comfortably on the sofa in the lounge, Lindsey wondered idly if that future might include a baby. She’d seen her doctor that afternoon and he’d assured her that she was fully recovered from the miscarriage, and that all of the tests showed that she was ready and able to conceive and carry a baby to term. Lindsey winced as she remembered his one caveat…that being her “Advanced Maternal Age.” Ugh – she was 36, not 66, but statistics didn’t lie. She had already known a lot of the challenges the doctor had talked about, but she also knew that it was perfectly possible for women to have healthy pregnancies and healthy babies well into their forties and even beyond.   
  
At the moment however, she was more concerned with what John wanted than she was with numbers and statistics. Since her breakdown on Cyprus, they had talked a number of times about children and John had seemed open to the idea, but he also seemed to be holding something back. As she had grown emotionally stronger, Lindsey had begun to notice how he focused all of his attention on her recovery. What had escaped her before now became more and more clear…he was in full on hero mode, making sure that she was protected and cared for. She really had no idea how he was feeling beyond his obvious concern for her. The researcher in Lindsey jumped into action as she read a great deal of literature on how miscarriages affect fathers, and how men tend to cope in such situations. Armed with that info and her clean bill of health, she was determined to sit down and have a long talk with her hero.  
  
When John returned to the house early that evening, he found Lindsey waiting for him in the lounge with some snacks and cold beer resting in a champagne bucket. She looked like summer in a pale yellow sundress and bare feet as she came forward to kiss him lightly and take his jacket.  
  
“What’s all this?” he purred, his hand lingering on her hip when she turned to toss his jacket across the back of a chair.  
  
“Hmmm,” she hummed, turning to him then leaning back in his circling arms. “It’s too hot to cook – I thought we could go out for dinner later, but you’re usually parched when you come in so…”   
  
John smiled softly and followed as Lindsey maneuvered him around and pushed him lightly down onto the sofa. She handed him a newly opened bottle and moved to stand behind him beginning to lightly massage his shoulders. John rumbled with pleasure as her hands patiently worked out the kinks in his neck and shoulders.  
  
“I had some good news today,” Lindsey said after a few minutes.   
  
“Hmmm??” John purred softly, his head lolling forward under her ministrations.  
  
“Yes,” she replied. Lindsey ran her fingers into his dark hair, gently massaging his scalp as she continued, “I saw Dr. Morton today. He says that I’m ‘in fine fettle.’ Perfectly healthy.”   
  
“That’s great news luv. I could see you were getting stronger every day,” John replied.  
  
Lindsey scratched her nails lightly across his scalp and leaned down to breathe in his ear, “I’m 100% fit for service… _any service_!”   
  
As her breathy murmur and the promise it held whispered across his skin, Lindsey felt his small shiver and then felt him stiffen slightly as he tamped it down and rumbled in reply,  
  
“We don’t need to rush anything Lindsey. You can take all the time you need.”  
  
Her hands returned to his shoulders as she persisted,  
  
“I’m feeling better… _a lot better_ , but you know John, not everything is about me and what I need….you have a stake in this too.” His head snapped up, but he didn’t turn around as she went on rubbing his neck and continued,  
  
“In the hospital you said to me ‘whatever you feel about it is OK.’ Well, that’s true for you too John. Whatever you feel about this ok – you don’t need to protect me from it. Even if ‘it’ is that you weren’t terribly affected by the miscarriage.”   
  
Lindsey could feel the tension gathering in the powerful muscles of his neck and shoulders under her hands, but she went on,  
  
“I’ve been doing a lot of reading the past few weeks. Did you know when a couple loses a pregnancy like we did – so early that the father has no chance to connect with the baby, or even know it exists – that it’s pretty common for him to not feel the loss as strongly?”  
  
John turned his head to look at her and she saw a wealth of emotion reflected in his eyes, which had darkened from clear blue to troubled grey.  
  
Lindsey leaned down to kiss his jaw and said softly, “I understand if you didn’t feel the loss all that deeply, and it’s OK.”  
  
John took her hands in his and gently tugged her around to nestle against him on the sofa, tucking her under his arm and resting his chin on the top of her head. He took a deep breath, savoring the familiar herbal scent of her auburn curls as he began in a voice deepened by emotion,  
  
“At first I was too shocked to feel much of anything. Then, when I found out the truth about Korres and the abduction, I was angry, but most of all, I was always worried for you. I regretted the loss of the baby, but it was obvious almost from the start that I wasn’t feeling it the same way you did. You were so upset. I couldn’t tell you that could I?” He felt Lindsey’s head move under his chin as she agreed,  
  
“No, you’re right. I probably wasn’t ready to hear it then.”  
  
John hummed in agreement and resumed, “You needed me, and I’m pretty good at being needed, so I ran with it. Maybe I hid behind the whole hero thing so you couldn’t see the truth right then.”  
  
Lindsey turned in his arms to look into eyes, “I’ll always need you John, and you are a hero – you just don’t need to be one all the time. Especially for me. It’s…”  
  
He put a finger to her lips, and then took her hands, playing idly with her fingers as he spoke,

“That was the truth right then, but since then, I’ve been thinking about it a lot. About us. About kids.” He kissed her finger tips and then sighed before continuing, “Even as hard as things got, I always loved having Lexie – Alex. I always assumed there would be more kids, but then things with Diane…” John paused, rubbing a long fingered hand along his jaw. “Things with Diane went the way they did. After that I never thought I’d have another chance at a family, but then I met you, and you made that possible. You made Alex and me a family again. I think some part of me always wanted us to have kids together, but you have this career you love and our life was so great. It wasn’t something that ever came up.”  
  
John looked up from her fingers as Lindsey giggled, and he saw the return of the mischievous sparkle in her eyes that he adored as she looked up at him and said laughingly,  
  
We’re quite the pair of ‘assumers’ aren’t we? I assumed ‘it’ didn’t come up because you already had Alex. You assumed ‘it’ didn’t come up because of my career. My mother used to tell me never to assume because it makes and ASS out of U and ME.”  
  
John snorted softly and kissed the tip of her nose, “Your mother was a very wise woman.”  
  
Lindsey smiled, nodding as she snuggled back into place under John’s arm, nuzzling in to kiss the spot where his jaw met his neck, a kiss that never failed to make him quiver.  
  
“So I guess we both want to try?” she questioned softly.  
  
John nodded, rubbing his stubbled cheek against her soft curls.  
  
“I do want to try Lindsey. I want us to have a baby, but I want it to be different than it was with Alex. I don’t want to come home one day to find that my baby grew up while I was gone. I’ve been thinking…”  
  
Lindsey hummed softly, interrupting him, “Between work and taking care of me, when have you been doing all of this thinking?”  
  
John smiled and gently pinched her ribs as he purred in her ear, “I told you that commuting between here and London would pay off!” Lindsey laughed softly, then sighed as his fingers began to idly stroke her neck while he continued,  
  
“I’ve been thinking about retiring once and for all,” he said succinctly.  
  
Lindsey’s head snapped back to look at him, her green eyes wide, and her mouth open in a surprised “o”.  
  
John’s lips quirked in a lopsided smile as he tapped her mouth shut and explained,   
  
“I get it now Lindsey – the fear, the worry. What I felt when you and Alex went missing. What you must have felt when I didn’t come home from Borneo – I never want you to feel that again because of me…you, or Alex, or anybody else. I’ve already told Layla that I’m not available for overseas training missions.”  
  
“Won’t you miss it?” Lindsey asked warily.  
  
John smiled again, one hand coming up to stroke her cheek as he answered,  
  
“I don’t know…maybe, maybe not. I honestly don’t know what comes next, I just know that I want to be around with you and Alex,” he paused, running a fleeting caress across her belly, “and whoever else might show up.”  
  
The smile that spread across Lindsey’s face, lighting her eyes as he leaned down to kiss her, was the most beautiful thing that John had seen in a long time. They kissed softly, lingeringly, a rediscovery of lovers who had all the time in the world.  
  
Some minutes later, Lindsey, wrapped securely in John’s powerful embrace, cleared her throat and said quietly,  
  
“Speaking of ‘whoever else might show up,’ I don’t want us to go off the deep end about this OK?”  
  
When John looked down at her in puzzlement she went on,  
  
“It’s just that I’ve see friends and colleagues who’ve all but destroyed their relationships as they desperately tried to get pregnant. Basal temperature measurements, optimal positions for conception, fertility drugs, in vitro, surrogacy, whatever…” she paused to kiss him softly. “I love you, and I would love for us to have a baby, but not at the cost of  _US_  because I love us and our life too.”  
  
She looked deep into his eyes and saw a lingering question there,  
  
“I guess what I’m saying is that I’d just like us to live our life, and what happens happens. We got pregnant once without trying at all, so if it’s OK with you, we’ll do it the old fashioned way…”  
  
The corner of his mouth twitched,   
  
“The old fashioned way works for me luv – when did you want to get started?” he asked with a brow wiggling leer.  
  
“God – I thought you’d never ask!” Lindsey exclaimed as she hiked up the skirt of her sundress and climbed across his body to straddle his lap.   
  
“How about now?” she asked before her lips met his in a blistering kiss.


	25. Chapter 25

John’s initial surprise quickly simmered into lust as Lindsey’s tongue stroked the corner of his mouth, seeking entrance. He groaned softly and opened to her, his tongue tangling lushly with Lindsey’s as his hands moved to her legs and slowly pushed the skirt of her sundress up exposing the smooth skin of her thighs to his touch. Lindsey shifted closer, wriggling deliciously in his lap as his questing hands reached her hips, his fingers teasing at the edges of her panties. She pulled her mouth from his, kissing along his jaw, then nipping his earlobe and nuzzling down his neck while her nimble fingers began unbuttoning his blue dress shirt. When her tongue flicked out to taste the hollow at the base of his neck, John moaned softly, his fingers pressing briefly into the pliant flesh of her hips before sliding up her arms to gently pull her up.

“Lindsey wait,” he rumbled softly, sighing as she kissed her way back up his neck before breathing into his ear,

“What’s wrong?” Her head dipped again to lick at the sensitive spot beneath his ear.

John laughed softly and his hands bracketed her face to pull her mouth to his for a quick kiss before they moved to her bottom to hold her as he stood and set her on her bare feet.

“Nothing’s wrong luv. We’ve just waited too long for a quick shag on the sofa,” he purred, pulling her along with him as he moved toward the stairs. “I want to savor every minute of this.” John stopped at the foot of the stairs to look deep into her eyes as he continued, “In a way, it’s like a first time for us.”

Lindsey smiled softly, stroking his stubbled cheek as she gently kissed his lips then said, “Don’t worry….I’ll never tell.”

One brow raised, John’s mouth quirked in a puzzled smile as he asked, “You’ll never tell what?”

She slid her arms around his neck and kissed him again, her tongue sweeping teasingly along his lips before she grinned and replied,

“I’ll never tell that you’re such a big, gushy romantic!”

Lindsey gasped as he swung her swiftly up into his arms bridal style and started up the stairs.

“John, put me down. I can walk,” she protested mildly.

John squeezed her thigh and rumbled, “Uh-uh. When I do ‘gushy romantic’ I do it right!”

Lindsey gave in, nestling her head into the crook of his neck as he carried her up the stairs and into the bedroom, stopping in front of their bed. She sighed when his head turned to take her lips in a soft kiss. John eased his arm out from beneath her legs, pulling the hem of her sundress up as her body slid along his until her feet came to rest on the floor. Lindsey untwined her arms from his neck and raised them when he slowly pushed the dress up and over her head, tossing it lightly onto the chair in the corner of the room. Wearing only a plunging, strapless white lace bra and matching panties, she stepped closer, tugging his shirt tails from his jeans with one hand while the other finished unbuttoning his shirt. She pushed his shirt off and nuzzled her face into the center of this chest, kissing him lightly before stepping back to run one finger, moistened by her tongue, from the center of his chest down to his navel.

John’s eyes roved hungrily over her lush curves. He swallowed noisily as her finger at his navel moved to join her other hand and easily unbuckle his belt before she took another step away from him. John groaned deep in his chest as Lindsey turned toward the bed giving him a view of the sleek curves of her bottom displayed by the thong back of her panties. She kneeled on the bed and crooked her finger at him with a ‘come hither’ smile. John stepped closer to her and slid one hand down the length of her back to squeeze the firm curve of her bottom while bending to kiss her deeply.

“Lay down,” he purred as his mouth traveled from her lips to her ear, his hands at her back nimbly unhooking her bra and slipping it off as she moved to lay against the pillows, her full, rose tipped breasts bare to his gaze. John licked his lips when Lindsey’s hands cupped her breasts. He quickly kicked off his jeans and joined her on the bed.

“You’re beautiful Lindsey.” His chocolate voice whispered across her skin like a caress. “I love every bit of you,” he said as he leaned to kiss her lips chastely before slipping down to the foot of the bed.

“I love your red polished toes,” Lindsey giggled lightly as he kissed the tips of her toes then sighed as he continued kissing up her legs and stroking them with his strong callused hands. “I love your long, strong legs, especially this part,” he murmured. Lindsey shifted on the bed as he pressed a wet, licking kiss at the back of each of her knees and then coasted his hands up her thighs. He was careful to avoid the apex as he moved aside her panties to kiss her hips. “And this part too,” he whispered, blowing softly at the damp skin that his mouth left behind. “I love how your belly quivers when I do this,” he said softly as he kissed the skin below her navel and ran just the tip of his finger under the waistband of her panties.

Lindsey shivered and reached out her hands to clutch at the smooth skinned muscles of his shoulders. John looked up and caught her eyes, his chin resting lightly on her quivering belly. He could see and smell her growing arousal. He breathed deeply and smiled slowly at her. Taking her hands from his shoulders he murmured,

“I love how you respond to me. How wet you are right now, when I’ve only just begun.”

Lindsey moaned softly when he kissed the palm of each of her hands and then gently raised her arms over her head, holding both wrists in one large hand. John’s mouth took hers in a voluptuous kiss, his tongue teasing hers as he eased a knee between her legs to press lightly against the damp heat of her lace panties. Lindsey arched her neck as his warm lips moved across her cheek to kiss her jaw, then the small silver hoop at the top of her ear.

“I love your ears and your earrings,” Her shoulders jerked as his whispering purr tickled her ear and sent a sensuous shiver down her spine. John threaded his free hand through her auburn curls, bringing a shining handful to his face. “I love how soft your hair is and how it always smells like summer.” He dropped his head to kiss down her neck, shifting his hips so she could feel how making love to her made him feel. How hard he was for her.

Lindsey gasped, “John please!”

Shushing her with a kiss, he released his hold on her wrists as his hands moved to her breasts, cupping their full weight in his palms while his long fingers tweaked her nipples into firm nubs.

“Shhh,” he rumbled. “I haven’t even gotten to the best part yet.”

Lindsey groaned as his smiling mouth closed on one nipple and began to suck lightly while his hands kneaded and teased her other breast. When Lindsey arched her back and pressed toward him, his white teeth nibbled gently at her flesh before he gave the rosy nub one last lick and kissed his way between her breasts. He stopped halfway to growl softly,

“You already know how much I love your gorgeous tits, don’t you Lindsey?” He laughed darkly and took her other nipple into his mouth as her thighs clenched around his knee, pressing it more tightly against her core.

Lindsey’s hands moved urgently down his body pulling almost frantically when she reached the cotton barrier of his boxers. John hummed against her nipple as he reached one hand to help her push them off. It was his turn to groan when her hands clutched at his bare backside. It would be so easy to give in to her urging hands, but John was determined. He tamped back his raging desire and continued his slow seduction. While his mouth suckled and nibbled at her breast, John’s hands moved to slip inside Lindsey’s damp panties and gently stroke her heated flesh. Lindsey’s hips shot off the bed at his first touch and she whimpered when his deep voice, gravelly with lust said,

“And this…there are no words to describe how much I love this.”

With his help, she frantically kicked off the white lace thong and begged him, panting brokenly,

“Yes…oh please…”

John’s cocked throbbed as he slipped one finger inside her slick channel and felt her muscles clench on it as his thumb circled her clit. She was so wet, so hot. He added a second finger and his thumb continued to tease from above as his mouth began to trail moist, heated kisses down her midriff, drawn to taste the sweetness of her arousal.  
He groaned as her body squeezed around his fingers when he kissed her navel. Moving lower, he winced when her hands tangled in his hair and pulled his head up.

“Enough…I can’t…I need you now. Now John!” Lindsey gasped.

She pulled his head to hers and kissed him deeply as she almost wept,

“Please baby, I want us to be together now. Please.”

He looked into her eyes and kissed, long and slow as he shifted his hips and positioned his cock at her entrance. Lindsey groaned and tilted her hips when he slid inside her in one smooth movement. John stretched across her, careful to keep most of his weight off her but allowing their bodies to slide together, skin to skin from chest to thighs while he moved inside her in long, slow slides.

Lindsey’s neck arched back and her hips met his with each movement. She could feel the pleasure coiling inside her, but she wanted more. Digging her nails into firm mounds of his ass she groaned,

“More! Harder!”

John’s nostrils flared and he grunted at her passionate command. Sitting back, he lifted her right leg over his hip and thrust deeply into her straining body. The new angle made Lindsey’s eyes roll back as she moaned, “YES” and dug her nails deeper.

John groaned as he felt her heated flesh squeezing his cock again and again. She was so close. With his next thrust, he reached out to gently flick her clit and watched as her face flushed and she screamed softly,

“I love you,” as a shuddering climax claimed her.

The rhythmic clenching of her channel around his shaft pulled him along with her. He dropped her leg from and collapsed against her as his hips jerked sharply and he spilled deep into her body with a low, rumbling groan.

Lindsey’s hands stroked up and down the length of his sweat slickened back, savoring his weight pressing against her as they both struggled to regain their breath. Several minutes passed before she felt him speak against her collarbone,

“Mffs nff baff iiss frt.”

Lindsey smiled quizzically and asked,

“What?”

“Mffs nff baff iiss frt,” John repeated, kissing the spot where her collar bone met her neck.

Lindsey laughed softly and slipped her hand into the short damp locks of his hair and tugged gently,

“What did you say?” she asked again.

John raised his head, his blue eyes twinkling with humor and replied seriously,

“I said, ‘That was not bad for a first effort.’”

Lindsey burst out laughing as he rolled to his side, pulling her with him and grinning down into her laughing green eyes when she agreed,

“Nope, not bad at all for a big gushy romantic!” and then squealed and laughed again as he ran a tickling caress down her ribs in retribution.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 John woke sometime after three a.m. and climbed carefully from the bed.

“No more Szechuan beef after 23:00,” he thought to himself grimacing as he padded silently to the bathroom to find an antacid. By the time John and Lindsey had gotten around to dinner, they had deemed it too late to go out, and had opted for Chinese takeout. John had dragged on a pair of running shorts to collect the food from the deliveryman and they had a mostly naked picnic on an old blanket Lindsey had thrown on the floor in the bedroom. In the course of the meal they determined that feeding each other was nowhere near as sexy as Kim Basinger and Mickey Rourke made it appear in _9-1/2 Weeks_. The shower to clean off the feeding each other mess, however, was very sexy.

John eased back into bed. The antacid was already starting to take effect and he felt much better as he lay back against the pillows. At least he'd felt much better until he turned toward Lindsey. As beams of moonlight slanted through the room, John saw her silently thrashing in her sleep, her pretty face contorting into a mask of anxiety and fear. He watched silently, not wanting to wake her if he didn’t need to. It wasn’t terribly long before she quieted into a fitful slumber, seeking out John’s warmth in the coolness of the air conditioned room. He felt her slight shudder and the clamminess of her skin as she nestled back against him, pillowing her head against his bicep. Lindsey sighed in her sleep when he wrapped his other arm protectively around her middle wishing that he could ward off the nightmares he was now sure she was having. John had already suspected this and was turning over some possible solutions he’d been considering as he drifted back to sleep.

Several hours later, John had already returned from his morning run, showered in the guest bath and located the tea kettle where Lindsey had hidden it in the pantry before Lindsey had awakened. He was standing at the kitchen counter reading the morning paper with a hot cuppa when she made her way sleepily into the kitchen and fumbled to put a K-cup into the coffee maker, dropping the portion cup on the floor with a mumbled curse.

“You OK luv?” he asked as she bent to pick it up and snapped it into the machine. John wondered if she even remembered having the nightmare.

“Yes, I’m fine. I just didn’t sleep very well I guess,” Lindsey answered putting a mug under the machine. He didn’t want to attack her with concern, so he quietly watched her as she paused before switching the coffee maker on. She was clearly thinking about what she wanted to say when she turned and leaned back against the counter looking at him, before she shook her head and said, “No, that’s not exactly true, I mean it’s true that I didn’t sleep well but...,” she paused again, turning to take the cream from the refrigerator.

John came around the counter. He took the cream from her and set it on the counter before taking her hands in his and asking her gently,

“Lindsey, did you not sleep well because you had a nightmare?”

She looked up at him and sighed with combination of relief and concern, “Yes…I did. Did I wake you? I’m sorry.”

Lindsey turned her cheek against his neck and breathed his scent in deeply as he wrapped her in his arms and rumbled softly,

“You didn’t wake me…I was already awake when I saw you dreaming. Was it the same one you had in the hotel in Icel?”

She nodded, rubbing her nose against his jaw as she replied slowly,

“Similar, but not exactly the same.” She tipped her head back to look up into his face and smiled at the tender concern she saw there. “It wasn’t as bad as that one. It wasn’t always exactly the same dream about my parents and Tom either. Sometimes they were mild, sometimes not,” she explained

John drew her back around the counter to sit on one of the stools there. He went back to fetch her coffee and the cream before joining her.

“Look luv, I’ve been thinking a lot about this since you had that dream in Turkey. I don’t want you to go through years with this if you don’t have to…would you be willing to talk to someone about it?”

Lindsey took a sip of her coffee and thought for a moment before nodding her head and agreeing, “I would – I’ve been thinking about it off and on too. I guess I could ask around at the University.”

John reached into the back pocket of his trousers and slid two business cards across the counter to her.

“Actually, I talked to one of the SAS docs, and he gave me the number of a couple of doctors who specialize in counseling military families,” he said quietly.

Lindsey looked at the names and replied, “I suppose that would make sense, but I’m not military. Would they see me?”

John nodded, “Yeah, I’m military, you’re my partner… _we’re_ a military family.”

“OK,” Lindsey smiled and then went on, “but are you sure these are the right doctors…these cards both say they place special emphasis on counseling families, not just individuals.”

“Well,” John replied slowly, “would it be alright with you we if saw the doctor together sometimes?”

Lindsey stared at into her coffee cup as what he was saying sunk in. When she raised her head, her green eyes were glistening with unshed tears.

“You would do that for me?” she asked softly, the tears spilling out now.

John wiped the tears from her face with his thumbs and kissed her softly before he answered, his voice deepening with emotion,

“I would absolutely do that for you, but I also brought plenty of my own baggage to this relationship, and I’ve been thinking that we might work through it all together with the doctor. What do you think?”

Lindsey took his hands and squeezed them as she answered softly, “I think that you are not only a big, gushy romantic, you are also a downright ‘modern’ man.”

John snorted softly as Lindsey emphasized ‘modern’ with the air quotes gesture and said with a grin, “Let’s don’t get carried away…”

Lindsey smiled and said earnestly, “I also think that I love you very much and I am humbled that you want to do this for us.”

John stood and pulled her off the stool into a brief hug and said, “I think you know very well by now that I would do just about anything for us luv.”

Lindsey sniffled briefly, thinking how lucky she had been to stumble across this man one night in a London pub, before she smiled widely and said,

“Likewise. How about I start by making us some brunch…omelets?”

John sat back at the counter watching appreciatively as she bent into the refrigerator to gather ingredients when he heard her utter a seeming _non sequitur_ ,

“Szechuan beef.”

“Pardon?” he asked, his lips quirking in a questioning smile.

Lindsey turned from the refrigerator to reply, “Szechuan beef...you were awake and saw me dreaming because of the Szechuan beef weren’t you?” Her arched brow and sly smile conveyed a pure, “I told you so.” before she turned back to preparing their brunch.

John barked with laughter and thought how lucky he had been to stumble across this woman one night in a London pub.


End file.
